The Ties that Bind
by Ryan T. Nelson
Summary: One morning, two individuals woke, as two separate individuals. By the end of the day they would be one. The Sh*t is about to hit the fan, as Shinji and Rei grow ever closer together.
1. The Ties are Bound

Twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game's over. I'm outta here.I don't own Eva. Do DVD's count?  
  
The Ties that Bind  
  
Chapter one- The Ties are Bound.  
  
One morning, two individuals woke, as two separate individuals. By the end of the day they would be one.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey idiot wake up!" Shinji Ikari started awake and rolled over in his bed as the sound of the loud and extremely irritating voice broke through his slumber. Unfortunately rolling over carried him off of the edge of his bed and he fell to the floor with a crash. "Get up, you're going to make us late for school."  
  
"No one asked you to wait for me Asuka," he shot back as he struggled to free himself from his hopelessly tangled sheets.  
  
"If I didn't make sure you got up you'd never make it to school on time you lazy jerk, now hurry up."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Shinji muttered as he finally freed himself from the sheets and scrambled to his feet. (Hey that rhymed ^_^) Within a few minutes he was in the shower, the hot water pouring down over his face woke him up fully and after he finished he ran to his room to dress in his usual black slacks, blue undershirt. And white uniform shirt.  
  
As he entered the kitchen he found Asuka waiting for him already dressed and tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
"Finally you're ready," she said as she grabbed his wrist and literally dragged him out the door, barely leaving him enough time to grab his bag and slip on his shoes on the way out.  
  
"See you later Misato," he called back over his shoulder as the door slid shut behind them. Inside the apartment, Misato sat at the kitchen table with a beer in one hand, her eyes wide as she attempted to comprehend the flurry of motion that had just torn through her tiny apartment. Eventually however she gave up and tilted back her beer, draining the can of its contents.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So it looks like the newlyweds are late again," Touji commented as he looked up at the clock from his seat. He was currently sitting in his desk with his feet up on the desk in front of him, his chair tilted back on its legs.  
  
"Most likely Shinji slept late again and Asuka is currently dragging him out of the door as we speak."  
  
Touji chuckled lightly at the quite accurate image of Shinji being dragged down the street by the angry redhead. "Yeah probably what happened."  
  
"Uh oh..." Touji looked up at Kensuke.  
  
"What?"  
  
"SUZAHARA!" Touji jerked violently in surprise at the loud voice and the already precarious balance he had achieved with the chair deteriorated rapidly, resulting in him falling backwards to the ground with a spectacular crash that was heard out in the hall. From his new spot on the floor he was able to see a white pair of shoes stop near his nose.  
  
Lifting his gaze he followed the smooth pair of legs that extended from the shoes, past the hem of a dress, and up to the very angry gaze of the classroom representative, Hikari Horaki.  
  
"Uhh... Hey Hikari," Touji stammered as he scrambled to his feet. As soon as he was standing she shoved one finger against his chest threateningly.  
  
"Why were your feet up on the desk Mister Suzahara?" she asked glaring up at him the entire time. Touji flushed nervously and attempted to stammer out some kind of an excuse or apology but the enraged class rep didn't give him the chance. "How many times have I told you not to put your feet on the desk? you are staying after class today to clean the desks Mr. Suzahara, and further more..." luckily Touji was saved from any more work by the timely arrival of Asuka and Shinji. More like a landing actually.  
  
The class room door was thrown violently open and a certain brown haired pilot flew through the air to crash into a row of desks. Two of the desks were knocked over and a third slid across the ground to fetch up against the far wall.  
  
"Serves you right, pervert," Asuka bellowed from the doorway as she gingerly rubbed the knuckles on her right hand. Shinji looked up in a daze from his place among the scattered desks, one hand was clasped to his jaw and a thin trail of blood could be seen from where his front lip had busted open on his teeth.  
  
Asuka pivoted on her heel and stalked over to her desk slamming her bag to the ground next to it before sitting down herself. As Hikari walked over to ask her friend what had happened Touji and Kensuke went to assist the stricken boy in extracting himself from the pile of furniture he had landed in.  
  
"Hey Shinji what the hell happened?" Touji asked as he lifted the smaller boy to his feet.  
  
Shinji gingerly felt his lip. Yep definitely busted. Looking up he caught sight of the ever cold and emotionless Rei sitting in her usual spot staring out the window, apparently oblivious to the entire event.  
  
He sighed and spoke to Touji and Kensuke in a whisper. "We were walking towards the class right? And she's dragging me along at like, the speed of sound or whatever, finally I trip. It was bound to happen. To keep from falling I grabbed onto her and I think my hands went a bit high. Next thing I know she's slugging me in the jaw." Touji and Kensuke both froze in the act of righting the fallen desks and turned to stare dumbfounded at the young pilot.  
  
Shinji winced as a pair of sickeningly sly smiles graced their faces and prepared himself for the verbal barrage of dirty comments from the two... however he was saved as their Sensei walked through the door.  
  
"Everybody stand. Bow. Sit." The three made a mad dash for their seats, and the school day officially began.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rei Ayanami sat in her seat looking out the window. She had noticed the entire situation with Shinji and Asuka but did not understand it. What is it about Ikari that enrages the second so? She wondered idly.  
  
Looking away from the window she cast her gaze around the room until her eyes came to rest on Asuka. She studied the fiery redhead for a while, while she attempted to figure out her behavior. Giving it up as a lost cause for the present she moved on to Asuka's most frequent victim, Shinji.  
  
Shinji was sitting at his desk, half slumped over nursing his sore lip. His eyes were partially glazed and unfocused as the old Sensei droned on about his life before Second Impact. For several long minutes Rei studied the young boy before turning back to the window, her mind filled with questions, and no answers.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The remainder of the school day passed without further incident, and Shinji headed for NERV headquarters... alone, of course.  
  
"Not like I did it on purpose..." he whispered, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. He didn't notice the blue-haired follower, trailing him at a discrete distance. Not that she was truly following him, as they were both going to the same place... but she could have taken another route.  
  
Shinji entered NERV headquarters through one of the large access gates and walked towards the locker rooms, his little blue shadow still behind him. They parted ways at the locker room doors and entered their separate areas to change into their plug suits before heading up to the labs for their briefing.  
  
"Hey guys," Misato said as the two entered the lab. "You'll head on down to the cages in a minute but first Ritsuko had something she wanted to tell you.  
  
"Todays test will be a little different then normal. We're going to perform a simultaneous cross synchronization test. Shinji you will try to activate Unit 00 Rei you will be in Unit 01."  
  
"What about Unit 02?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Asuka is already suited up in Unit 02 and she is standing by on the off chance that something goes seriously wrong. Like either Eva going berserk for example." Shinji gulped audibly at that and nervously nodded his head.  
  
"All right guys head on down to the cages," Misato said with a cheery wave. Rei spun about and walked quietly away, still as stoic as ever, with Shinji not far behind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay guys, we're going to start the test soon so just relax and everything should go smoothly." Ritsuko said over the communication channel.  
  
Several minutes passed as the two pilots attempted to familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar entry plugs. "So Rei, how's it feel to be in Unit 01's entry plug for the first time?" Ritsuko asked.  
  
"I am unsure Dr. Akagi. It is most unusual... it smells like Ikari." Ritsuko chuckled to herself when she received one of the albino girl's overly-analytical responses before switching over to Shinji's comm channel. "Shinji how does it feel to be in Unit 00's entry plug?"  
  
"A little odd Miss. Akagi, and... it kinda smells like Rei."  
  
"How's he doing?" Misato asked of Maya, leaning over her shoulder to take a look at the monitors.  
  
"He's a bit jittery but that's only to be expected, he's never been in any Eva other than Unit 01." Maya paused for a moment before correcting herself. "Well there was the incident with Unit 02 and the 6th angel but that's a special case."  
  
Ritsuko stood from her seat and moved behind Maya to oversee the test. Raising her voice she called out, "Begin the startup sequence."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inside the entry plugs the two pilots listened to the long strung out techno babble that neither could entirely comprehend but both knew was crucial to their safety. For the first five minutes of warm up and startup sequencing everything was going fine, Rei and Shinji could feel the presence of the Eva at the outside edge of their awareness.  
  
Finally it came time for the third stage link up, and that was when all hell broke loose.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't know why the hell I'm sitting here guarding these two idiots?" Asuka muttered under her breath as she sat in Unit 02's entry plug outside the two cages watching the silent beasts inside.  
  
Apparently she hadn't muttered it quietly enough since Misato chose to answer her. "May I remind you Asuka that those two 'idiots' as you say are your fellow teammates and it has been those two that have been watching your butt on previous missions. Shinji and the eighth angel, then Rei assisted with the ninth as well."  
  
"Yeah, yeah Misato I know all about it, I was there remember? I-" Anything else the red head might have added was drowned out in a sudden blaring of air raid sirens.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The entire command staff was speechless as on screen, Unit's 01 and 00 proceeded to go berserk.  
  
"It's no good," Maya screamed, "The pulses are flowing backwards on both of them, we're not sure what's happening."  
  
"Cut the power," Ritsuko called out as the stronger Unit 01 broke free of its restraints and began to lurch about the cage as if it were drunk. There was an explosion and the huge umbilical cable at the back of the large purple unit burst free to fall to the floor .  
  
"Units 01 and 00 have both switched to internal batteries, complete loss of power within three minutes."  
  
On screen Unit 00 finally broke free of its restraints and its hands came up to clutch at its head. Stumbling forward the large blue unit swung one massive fist directly at the glass, its single optic lens seemingly trained on the blond scientist behind the window.  
  
Two smaller windows popped up on the monitors as the glass began to crack. The first showed Rei, her body arched back as both hands clutched her head, her mouth was wide open in a silent scream of agony.  
  
The second window was a view of Shinji. Misato watched on as her charge convulsed in a series of spasms, his body shaking violently, eyes rolled back into his head and a thin stream of blood ran from his nose. His body jerked violently one more time and there was a loud crack that reverberated throughout the room as his right arm came down on the control panel, the radius in his wrist snapping under the impact.  
  
Then all was silent, the two massive robots finally ran out of power. Inside the pilots fell silent as well, both descending into unconsciousness as the assault on their minds ceased. Then... "GET THEM OUT OF THERE," Misato screamed as the command staff slowly began to recover in the sudden silence.  
  
Her voice was enough and a frenzy of activity followed as rescue crews ran down to retrieve the injured children.  
  
And through it all, one voice remained unheard for quite sometime. "Excuse me? Hello would someone tell me what the hell is going on," Asuka screamed from inside Unit 02.  
  
End.Many thanks to Random 1377 for his help with this fic, and Ken Sohryu, who pointed out a few glitches along the way. Thanks guys. 


	2. A Link is Found

I still don't own Eva. Can you give me a share in it?  
  
The Ties that Bind  
  
Chapter two- A Link is Found  
  
What is this?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
What is this?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Where am I?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Where am I?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
`Ikari? These are his thoughts,' Faces, feelings. `These are his memories. What does this mean? What is this I see? Dr. Akagi? Commander Ikari, Major Katsuragi. The Second Child.'  
  
Ritsuko steps into an elevator pushing Misato back as she does so, glaring at the raven-haired woman before turning to look down at Shinji Ikari.  
  
Looking up at Commander Ikari, the giant face of Unit 01 between them. "Why did you send for me? FATHER? Why am I here?"   
  
Turning, a stretcher, Ayanami. Injured, but still willing to pilot. Blood, she could smell it, she could feel his fear as he fought the third angel, the fourth, his rage and anger.  
  
Hopelessness. Inside her mind, Rei Ayanami curled into a fetal position as she was assaulted by the painful memories of one Shinji Ikari. She felt her existence slipping. The barrier of her soul was gone a second joined it and they began to merge.  
  
"No! How could I ever trust him again?" Standing on an escalator she saw herself, she turned and her hand flashed out to strike her cheek with a resounding smack that echoed throughout the empty level. She felt his pain as he watched her walk away.  
  
`I hurt him? What is this I feel when he sees me? Is this love? Can he love me? What is love?'   
  
"Why don't you try smiling?" Through his eyes she saw her smile, she felt his joy, and his fear.  
  
`He cares for me? Why? Why? Why? What do I feel for him? What is this emotion that I have felt since our first meeting? Why can't I understand?'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
`Ayanami? These are her thoughts.' Faces and feelings. `These are her memories. What does this mean? What is this I see? Father? Dr. Akagi?'  
  
The images meld, one after another, faster and faster until he can't contain them. Inside the mind of Shinji Ikari he screams as he is assaulted by Rei's memories.  
  
A faceless assailant, strong hands about his throat. Blood, so much blood.  
  
`Red, Red is a color I hate. Red as the blood. Blood, I hate the smell of blood. Strong and metallic like copper it fills my being and I can not rid myself of it.'   
  
`Are these her thoughts? Is this how she sees the world? Why can I see these things?'  
  
Pain wracks her being as she falls from the stretcher. A voice cries out and there is the clang of metal against metal. Opening her one good eye she sees the boy above her, cradling her protectively in his arms. His arms around her body feels wonderful, but the pain returns.  
  
`What was that emotion when I touched her? What was that she felt?'  
  
"I am sorry. I do not know what to say or do at times like this."   
  
"Why don't you try smiling?"  
  
`I was the first person to ask her to smile? Has her life really been that hollow? She's as lonely as... I am...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
`He is as lonely as... I am...'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The two barriers merge, and become one.  
  
We are lonely. We are lonely... no more. Now we have each other. Now we are linked. Forever, and always.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At the exact same second, three days after the failed cross synchronization test, Rei Ayanami, and Shinji Ikari, finally rejoined the living, and woke from their slumber.  
  
Reis eyes snapped open and she suppressed a startled gasp as Shinji shot upright in the bed beside hers. The first thing she became aware of was that her lower lip throbbed with a mild pain, and her right wrist felt as if it were fractured, but upon looking down she saw that there was no cast.  
  
Shinji wildly cast his gaze around the room for a moment in fear as he tried to remember where he was, and... who he was. Finally it all settled into place and glancing to his right he saw Rei awake in the bed next to his, just her presence immediately calmed him and he slowly sank back onto the mattress.  
  
In the silent hospital room two voices echoed as one. "I really hate this ceiling."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Maya hung up the phone beside her console and turned to face Ritsuko. "Dr. Akagi," she called, "The infirmary reports that Shinji and Rei have regained consciousness."  
  
Ritsuko looked up from her monitor to peer at the brown haired tech. "Good. Tell them I'll be down in a few minutes to see them, and call Misato, she'll want to know that Shinji's awake."  
  
"Yes ma'am," Maya said as she reached for the phone. Ritsuko turned back to her monitor and stared at the two brain wave patterns that were displayed on the glowing screen.  
  
One was marked Rei Ayanami, while the other was marked Shinji Ikari. The patterns showed two normal if slightly unbalanced brain waves but that was to be expected considering the children's occupation.  
  
No that wasn't what was bothering Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. What had her puzzled was the fact that neither of the two waves looked ANYTHING like previous tests done on the two children, and they were both identical.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The door hissed open and two pairs of eyes turned to greet the person entering. Ritsuko came to a dead stop as she saw the slightly disconcerting identical gaze the two children directed at her.  
  
Shaking the feeling off she slowly entered the room, watching as the two turned their heads to follow her movements, neither spoke, neither seemed to register much of anything really besides acknowledging her presence with their eyes.  
  
"Miss. Akagi," Shinji began, "why are-"  
  
"we in the same room?" Rei finished.  
  
Ritsuko did a double take as the two children glanced at each other.  
  
Rei spoke up. "Dr. Akagi, I believe-"  
  
"that something is wrong here," Shinji concluded.  
  
"What is happening Ikari?" Rei asked.  
  
"I'm not sure Rei. But whatever it is, it is very strange."  
  
"Do you have any ideas-"  
  
"Dr. Akagi?"  
  
Ritsuko rapidly looked back and forth from one to the other, her eyes wide open in shock,  
  
"Oh boy."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
With a squealing of tires Misato expertly parked her car in front of NERV before leaping out of the vehicle. Rapidly making her way towards the infirmary she was itching to see how Shinji was doing.  
  
Finally after a few minutes dealing with various nurses she managed to get the room number and made her way down the white halls, her heels clicking loudly on the linoleum floors.  
  
Just as she reached for the door it slid open and Ritsuko walked past her in a bit of daze, her eyes slightly glazed over mumbling to herself incoherently.  
  
"Hey Ritsu, are you okay?" Misato asked the blond scientist. There was no response. Ritsuko pushed past the confused Major and continued down the halls, her clipboard falling from her hands to crash on the floor with a clatter.  
  
Suddenly concerned Misato rushed into the room to see Shinji. "Shinji? What happened to Ritsuko?"  
  
"I'm not-"  
  
"entirely sure Major Katsuragi. Dr. Akagi seems-  
  
"to be in shock. Maybe you should-"  
  
"go after her Major." Misato looked back and forth between the two children much like Ritsuko had a moment before, a dumbfounded expression on her face.  
  
Rei turned slightly to face Shinji. "Does that not look familiar to you?" she asked, indicating Misatos expression.  
  
"Yes I think it does." The two turned back to the startled Major who quickly held up her hands in a stopping gesture.  
  
"Don't say anything please," she begged as Rei opened her mouth to speak. "The two of you just stay right there. I'm gonna go get Ritsuko," she said as she turned and bolted out the door. As the door slid shut behind her Shinji turned to Rei.  
  
"Why do they keep running from us?" he asked.  
  
"I am unsure Ikari." They sighed quietly in unison before lying back on their beds to gaze up at the ceiling.  
  
"So... you think we could get someone to paint that ceiling?" Reis only response was a soft smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nearly an hour passed before Ritsuko returned with Misato trailing behind her, Ritsuko was staring intently at some papers clipped to her ever-present clipboard.  
  
"Before you say anything," Ritsuko said glancing up at them, "I have a few things to ask." Once she was sure she had the attention of both pilots she began to speak. "Tell me, one at a time, what do you remember of the Cross Synchronization test?"  
  
Rei and Shinji exchanged glances, there was a moments pause, then both of them began to speak, in unison. "I remember the entire day before arriving for the test, and I remember the test up until the third stage link up... then everything gets a bit hazy."  
  
Ritsuko groaned and passed one hand over her face. "What part of `one at a time' don't you two understand?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Where is the report on the First and Third Children?" Gendo Ikari asked.  
  
"Right here sir," Ritsuko said as she slid the file across the commanders' massive black desk. "The children seem to have become mentally linked in some way. They start and finish each other's sentences as if they were born to it, but if asked they don't really seem to notice the fact. They DID seem to notice it the first time but they don't really seem to see it as anything unusual, almost as if they'd been doing it their entire lives."  
  
"Possible complications to their ability to pilot?"  
  
"None that I can see sir. As long as they are together however."  
  
Gendo sat up just a bit straighter at this. "Explain."  
  
"Well sir, as far as I can tell the two now seem dependent on one another. As my report states, the first night after the failed cross synch test they were resting in separate rooms, however in the middle of the night both began to struggle in their sleep thrashing around violently."  
  
"We secured them to the beds and the next day while administering tests we noticed that when in the same room both pilots ceased struggling, but when we tried to separate them they stated again."  
  
"There really is no scientific basis for their behavior but I believe that if they were to be separated they would become violent in their efforts to return to each other, even if they didn't know themselves WHY they were so bent on being together."  
  
"Do not inform them of the link if they seem to be unaware of it. Tell them they can go, but, send someone to keep an eye on them."  
  
"Yes sir,' Ritsuko said before turning and walking out of the large office. She stopped at the doors and turned back to face him. "Oh there was one other thing sir." Gendo nodded to her to continue and she did so after taking a deep breath. "They seem to feel each others physical sensations as well to a limited extent at least."  
  
"What do you mean doctor?"  
  
"Well a while after they woke up Rei asked me why her lower lip and right wrist would hurt. I checked her over but found nothing wrong with her. Shinji is another matter however. As the story goes he had a run in with the second child the day of the test and she punched him in the mouth splitting his lip, and during the test he DID break his right wrist on the control console."  
  
"I believe it is a bleed over through the link, and she is feeling Shinji's pain."  
  
"Very good doctor, you may leave now."  
  
Ritsuko nodded her head and stepped out of the office. As the massive doors clanged shut Sub Commander Fuyutski leaned forward over Ikaris shoulder to look at the file on the desk.  
  
"This isn't a part of your scenario, is it Ikari?" he asked.  
  
"No. This could be an inconvenience to our plans. If Rei turns on me, Shinji will most likely follow, we must take steps to prevent that if at all possible."  
  
"And if it's not possible?"  
  
Gendo smirked. "Rei can be replaced professor."  
  
End.  
  
I know I know, I haven't forgotten about Asuka. But this story DOES center mainly around Shinji and Rei so don't count on too many appearances by the other characters. All my other stories as of yet have long drawn out chapters,  
  
I am trying for something quick and sweet this time around just to see how it goes. How'm I doin'? 


	3. Separation Anxiety

I do not own anything Eva related. WHY CAN'T I OWN IT? *shakes fist at the heavens* but… the heavens don't care.

The Ties that Bind

Chapter three- Separation Anxiety 

Nearly a week had passed since the failed Cross synchronization test. Shinji and Rei both felt in fine health though Reis eyes did widen a bit when she noticed Shinjis right wrist in a cast, and the busted lip with the memory of the fleeting pain she had felt upon awakening.

Three days after they woke the subject had bothered them both so much that they had asked around and actually _had_ managed to get someone to paint the ceiling. After much back and forth discussion and half finished/started sentences that had the painter dizzy they settled on a light blue color. Then they went for a walk around the hospital as the ceiling was being painted.

They frequently walked around the hospital having nothing much else to do since Ritsuko refused to let them go but still had yet to tell them why. It was during one of these walks that Ritsuko found them on a Monday, exactly two weeks after they woke.

"Shinji, Rei," she called as she walked up to them.

"Yes doctor?" they said, again in unison. 

Ritsuko quickly covered the surprise she felt as she had become slightly used to their odd quirks in speech. "I have good news for you two. You can go home today. We've finished the tests and it seems that the two of you have been given a clean bill of health."

She turned to Shinji. "Shinji I'm afraid it will be a while before we'll be able to remove your cast. You decided to break some of the worst bones possible and they take a long time to heal. However I will expect you back here in one week to check on your recovery."

"Yes doctor," Shinji said, his voice slightly less emotional than it usually was. The two children spun about and made their way back towards their shared hospital room, with its baby blue ceiling.

Ritsuko watched them as they walked and the evidence of their bond showed in their step. The right foot rose at exactly the same instant and fell to strike the earth in unison followed by the left, so that the sound echoed in such a way as to seem that there was only one person there and not two.

They entered their room and quickly changed into their clothes before turning and leaving the hospital. Once on the street they both turned at the same second and walked down the sidewalk towards Reis apartment building.

Ritsuko watched them from the doorway for a moment before she noticed a presence at her side. Turning she looked back at the puzzled expression of one Major Misato Katsuragi.

"Ritsu? Where's Shinji going?" Misato asked.

"I would imagine he is going to Reis apartment."

"Why?"

"Maybe you should ask him."

"Okay"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they entered the apartment Rei went over to lay down on her bed after slipping her shoes off and setting them by the door.

Shinji entered the kitchen and began washing the small pile of dishes there, straightening up the counters and basically going about the normal routine he would have gone through had he gone home that day after the test, in an attempt to slip back into his old patterns.

After several minutes of silence other than the sound of running water Rei raised her head off of the bed and stared at Shinji as if just realizing he was there.

"Ikari-kun, why are you here?" Shinji stopped at the sound of her voice and slowly turned. He looked down at the washcloth in his hand, his face a study of confusion.

"I'm not really sure," he said looking up at Rei who remained silent.

"I guess I'll be going then. Good bye Rei." She declined to answer, merely resting her head back on her pillow and gazed up at the ceiling as Shinji walked to the door.

As the door shut behind him she had a sudden urge to leap out of bed and run after him but she squashed it and rolled over onto her side.

Out on the street Shinji slowly plodded away from the rundown apartment building, every step getting harder and harder.

He felt as if his feet were made of cement and he had an urge to return just to be near Rei moving away from her tore him apart and he couldn't understand why, nor was he entirely positive it was leaving Rei that was affecting him. Finally, he found himself frozen on the sidewalk unable to move forward, yet unwilling to go back.

He stood stock still for nearly ten minutes, beads of sweat standing out on his fore head as he struggled to take another step forwards. Eventually he cracked. Spinning around he began walking briskly back towards Reis apartment, all the while still trying to force his unresponsive body to turn and go back the other way. 

Left to his own devices he would most assuredly have walked right back into the apartment building and up to her apartment without once knowing WHY he was so hell bent on being around her. 

Fortunately he didn't get the chance. With a squealing of tires a little blue sports car came to a stop right in front of him. He was about to walk around the car to continue on his way when the driver stuck her head out of the window and called out to him, "Hey Shinji, need a lift back home?"

He stopped and slowly turned to the car, and the raven-haired Major that was leaning out of the window.

"Thanks Misato," he said as he slowly, and with much effort sat down in the front seat. As they drove away he looked back through the rear window, staring at the run down building long after it had disappeared from view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A silent apartment, quiet footsteps. Misato awoke with a start still not exactly sure what it was that had awoken her. She sat up in bed and slowly surveyed the darkened room for a trace of what had disturbed her sleep.

Glancing at the clock she saw that it was only two-thirty in the morning. Then, she heard it, footsteps, and quiet, gasping, shuddering breath.

Standing, she pulled on a shirt and gently eased her bedroom door open far enough to peer outside. She bit back a startled cry as she found Shinjis face a few inches away from her own. His eyes were glassy and unfocused as he turned and walked away from her without even acknowledging her presence. 

With a puzzled look on her face she opened the door all the way and quietly padded down the hall after him. She observed him as he moved and right away she noticed several major differences in his movements. 

His steps were slow and jerky, almost as if his legs wanted to carry him one way while his mind was attempting to force them another way. His entire body shuddered violently every few moments and his hands shook as if he were suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms.

"Shinji?" she asked as he stumbled to the balcony door. He didn't answer as he wrenched the door open and he stepped out into the night with Misato close behind him.

He lurched forward hitting the railing hard with both hands and stared out over the city. His gaze flitted from left to right before finally settling somewhere in the middle, staring off at some distant point beyond the reach of Misatos vision.

"Shinji," she tried again. He made no response to her words, nor did he seem to notice as she stepped up to the railing next to him. Momentarily at a bit of a loss for words Misato just stood there as he gazed out across the quiet city.

"… can… her," Shinji mumbled so quietly that Misato couldn't hear a few of the words spoken.

"What?" she asked.

"I… I can feel… her," he said. He turned to face her and for the span of a few seconds his eyes seemed to focus on her, and he gazed into her eyes before he slumped to the floor of the balcony, unconscious. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ritsuko yawned as she bent over Shinji's still form, peeling back one eyelid to shine a small penlight into his eye.

"What the hell happened to him Ritsuko?" a very agitated Major Katsuragi inquired. After waking Asuka and moving Shinji onto the couch she had frantically called the blond doctor and informed her of what had happened.

"Looks like he went into shock and passed out," Ritsuko said as she stifled another yawn.

"Why would he go into shock?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Ritsuko said evasively. "From what you described it seems to me that it was almost like withdrawal symptoms. His body became acclimated to a foreign substance, then dependent on it. Now his body is suddenly without that substance and it overloaded so to speak."

"So you're telling us that this moron has been doing drugs?" Asuka asked from the kitchen table. The redhead was still upset about being forced from her sleep at three in the morning.

"Not exactly Asuka. He is not doing any kind of drugs, but the reaction he had is similar." Ritsuko put away the light and stood up. "I really have to be going now. Make sure he goes to school tomorrow Misato. He should be fine by morning and chances are he won't even remember any of this."

"All right Ritsu," Misato said as she walked her to the door. "G'night." The door hissed shut behind her and Misato went back into the kitchen. 

There was a moment's silence before, "Misato?"

"Yeah?"

"If it's not drugs, then what is his body suddenly lacking that could cause this?"

"I'm not sure Asuka," Misato began. "But I have a sneaking suspicion that Ritsuko knows full well what it is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

At frequent intervals the streetlights lit up the interior of the car as it moved through the silent city streets. Ritsuko slowed the vehicle as she approached a particularly run down part of the city.

Driving slowly she eventually pulled to a stop in front a dilapidated apartment building. Stepping from the car she sighed as she gazed up at the old building before reaching into the car for her bag.

She paused at the stairs leading up to the apartments as a cool breeze blew across her cheek. At night all the noise from the construction in the area was quite noticeably absent casting an eerie silence over the dark streets. She quickly turned and made her way up the four flight of stairs required and entered apartment 401 without bothering to knock.

"Just as I thought," she muttered as she saw the naked form lying on the floor not far from the entrance. Rei had passed out face down on the floor about half way down the hallway between the front door and her bed. "This is going to be a long night," Ritsuko sighed as she opened her black medical bag.

She withdrew a small packet of smelling salts and gathered the blue haired pilot into her arms, pulling her to a semi sitting position. Breaking open the packet she gently held it beneath the girls nose until she jerked awake

Reis' eyes slowly fluttered open and focused on the doctor after a few minutes.

"Doctor Akagi?" she asked.

"Yes Rei."

"Why am I..?" There was a pause before Ritsuko frowned.

"What is it?"

"Why am I..?" Again she stopped speaking mid-sentence.

Silence reigned in the small apartment for sometime Ritsuko finally spoke. "It seems that you passed out Rei. Section 2 called me and I came right over," she lied. Ritsuko moved to get her legs under her and tightened around the small girls' body. "Come on, let's get you to bed Rei. You have school tomorrow you know."

"Yes Dr. Akagi." If Ritsuko had been paying closer attention, she might have noticed the slightly disappointed tone to the girls' voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"She stopped speaking in mid-sentence?" Gendo asked of the blond doctor.

"Yes sir. She said 'Why am I…' and then stopped," Ritsuko said. "It is my belief that she seemed to be waiting for Shinji to finish the rest of the sentence though she does not appear to be aware that she stopped speaking at all."

"Proceed with your report doctor."

"I got her into bed and she was asleep within a few minutes."

"And prior to that you had been to Major Katsuragis' apartment?"

"Yes sir. Major Katsuragi called me at about 2:45 this morning in a bit of a panic. It seems Shinji had been behaving oddly during the night. He was wandering around the apartment and that woke Misato. He then collapsed at approximately 2:35 this morning."

"Do you believe that Rei's and the Third's collapses had any connection?"

"Yes sir. I believe that their minds are dependent upon one another's presence. Separating the two of them will only cause them undue harm."

"Noted Doctor." Gendo glanced at the digital clock set in his desk. "I believe you shift is to begin soon Doctor. Dismissed"

Ritsuko hesitated for a moment. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Am I to continue concealing any direct proof or knowledge of the link from Rei and Shinji?"

"Yes you are. I believe Miss Katsuragi is also unaware of their link?"

"Yes sir."

"See that it remains that way."

"Yes sir." She turned and left.

Fuyutski spoke up from his place behind the younger man. "Why do you insist on hiding this from them?"

"I am interested to see how it affects them."

"You intend to see if they find their way to each other before they kill themselves?"

"Something to that effect."

"Shinji is very important to your scenario. Aren't you at all worried about what this might do to him?"

"He is my son. He's stronger then even he knows." All the elderly Professor could do was gaze dumbfounded at his former pupil, and pray, for two innocent Children.

End

Woohoo. Got that one done. CHAPTER THREE IS UP! YES. Uh ahem Sorry about that. So what will happen when Rei and Shinji wake? When will they learn of their link? When will I own Evangelion? Stick around. You just might learn the answers.


	4. Realization

God, I STILL don't own Eva. WHY? WHY CAN'T I OWN IT HUH?  Again any comments from Rei are Blue. Shinji is Red.

The Ties that Bind 

Chapter four: Realization  
  


Where am I?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where am I?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am here again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here I am again. What will I learn this time? In his slumber Shinji once again found himself assaulted by anothers' memories and emotions. What is this? Face, his father, Ritsuko, Misato, Asuka, Touji, Hikari, Kensuke, Shinji. Images of people Rei knew flashed in the darkness coming faster and faster until they were a blur of light and color.

                Attached to each image there was an emotion, or feeling. His father, acceptance, and the love of a daughter. Ritsuko, fear, pain, and sorrow. Misato, Asuka, Touji, Hikari, Kensuke, indifference accompanied these faces. Finally, his own face, and her emotions regarding it. Joy, worry, acceptance, love… Love? Does Rei love me? Can she love me as I… Love her?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                What does Ikari feel for me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                What does Rei feel for me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                What do I feel? Why do I feel this way?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                The dark worlds Rei and Shinji found themselves in slowly faded away, and the two, slept on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                Shinji slowly opened his eyes. After a moments confusion his gaze focused on the ceiling above him and he realized he was in his bedroom. Slowly, he sat up and looked around.

                "What was with that weird dream?" he muttered. He desperately struggled to remember what the dream had been about but it seemed the harder he tried the faster it slipped away. One thing was certain however, it had largely concerned Rei Ayanami.

                "Why would I dream about Rei?" he mumbled as he climbed out of bed to go take his shower. He slid open the door to his room and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. So engrossed was he in his thoughts that he failed to notice Misato and Asuka as he walked by the two of them. Asuka turned to watch as he slid open the bathroom door and closed it behind him, all the while mumbling quietly under his breath.

                "Asuka?" Misato called. The red head turned to see Misato walking towards the kitchen. Once they were both seated at the table Misato paused for a moment before speaking.

                "Asuka I want you to do me a little favor. Keep an eye on Shinji for me today."

                "What? Why should I have to baby sit that pervert?"

                "Don't think of it as baby sitting. I didn't ask you to hold his hand, I asked you to observe him and let me know if anything unusual happens."

                "You think he's been doing drugs don't you?"

                "No, if he was they would have shown up in his blood tests at the infirmary."

                "Then why should I keep an eye on him at all?" They heard the bathroom door slide open and they waited quietly as Shinji went into his room before speaking.

                "The cross synch test."

                "What about it?"

                "I'm not entirely sure but I think it did more to Shinji than Ritsuko is letting on."

                "You think she knows what really happened?"

                "Like I said I'm not entirely sure. But I can tell you that she's hiding something, I've known her long enough to be able to tell when she's lying to me." Their discussion was cut short when Shinji walked into the kitchen. Without a word or a glance to either of them he walked past, picked up his bag and headed down the hallway towards the front door.

                Asuka arched an eyebrow at Misato as they heard the door slide shut. "You wanted me to look out for anything unusual right?" Misato nodded. "Does that count?" she asked as she jerked her head in the direction of the door. Another nod. Asuka stood up and picked up her bag. "Then I guess I should get going before he gets too far ahead."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                About a block from the apartment Shinji came to a stop by a telephone pole. Putting out one shaking hand he rested his palm against the rough wood and stood using the pole for support for a minute as he slowly clenched and unclenched his other fist in an attempt to stop its violent shaking.

                "What's wrong now?" Shinji weakly raised his head to glare at the redhead. Auks stood some five feet away from him, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, school bag dangling from one hand.

                "Nothings wrong," he said as he pushed himself away from the pole to stand without its support, his fists clenched tightly at his side to hide their shaking.

                "Hmph," Asuka muttered as she spun away. "Whatever, let's get going Baka or we're going to be late."

~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  


                At the Tokyo-3 public middle school Rei Ayanami sat stiffly in her seat, both hands pressed tightly against the desk as she gazed out the window as usual. However today she was not just staring off into space, today she was waiting for someone. 

                She didn't have very long to wait either. As he neared the school she could sense him approaching and her apprehension grew with every second that passed. Finally he rounded the corner of the school building and she relaxed slightly as he came into view. Her hands relaxed their death grip on the desk with a creaking of the old screws that held the wood and metal together.

                He looked up once at her window and their gazes locked as he walked towards the double doors leading into the school, until he disappeared inside. As he was lost to her view the apprehension returned with full force, and she turned to watch the classroom door, counting down the seconds until his arrival.

                Down on the sidewalk Asuka paused for a moment as she noticed Shinji looking up before entering the building. Glancing up herself, she saw a flash of blue hair and instantly knew what had caught the young boys attention. 'So old Shinji has a thing for Wondergirl eh?' she thought. "I guess that falls under the unusual category to report back to Misato," she muttered as she followed Shinji up the stairs to classroom 2-A.

                Shinji heard Asuka muttering under her breath and it distantly registered in the back of his mind, however he was too preoccupied to care so did not ask her to speak up. As he had caught sight of Rei he had instantly felt better then he had all morning, but upon entering the school his hands began to shake even more violently than before. His heart started pounding and he struggled to breathe past the lump in his throat.

                "Soon," he whispered almost absentmindedly. "I'll see her very soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                The door swung open slowly and Shinji paused at the threshold. Blood red eyes met his deep ocean blue. A silent communication seemed to pass between the two Children and for several moments they were utterly still, gazing into each others eyes. Finally, Shinji moved forwards.

                Asuka watched with evident surprise as Shinji did not turn immediately towards the back of the room where he usually sat with the other two stooges. Instead he walked straight across the room and without a word sat in the empty desk next to Rei Ayanami. 'What the HELL is that baka doing?' she thought. 

                She absentmindedly walked to her desk and as she did so, she felt a devilish smile grace her lips as a plan began to form itself deep in the recesses of her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                "What is Shinji doing sitting next to Ayanami?" Touji asked quietly, a thin note of panic entering his voice.

                "What's he doing?" Kensuke asked as he glanced up from the monitor of his laptop. His eyes quickly flicked over towards the window and he saw the pair sitting quietly, both seemingly lost in their own worlds. 

                "What the hell is he doing?" Touji asked again             

                "He's sitting next to Ayanami," Kensuke said in a perfectly calm tone as he turned back to his monitor.

                Touji grinned softly as he knew the explosion was imminent and began to count in his head. '3… 2… 1….'

                "He's sitting next to Ayanami?" Kensuke practically shouted aloud as his head snapped up towards the window again, his eyes almost bulging from their sockets in his surprise.

                "So you finally noticed huh? Now what are we going to do about it?"

                "Absolutely nothing," a new voice said from behind them. They turned to find Asuka standing behind them, both hands on her hips.

                "What was that Red?" Touji asked, using his favorite nickname for her.

                "You are not going to do anything about Shinji sitting with the little doll, at least not yet."

                "Not yet?" Kensuke asked.

                "Listen very carefully children," Asuka said as she leaned towards the two boys in a conspiratorial manner. "How would the two of you like to be on temporary assignment for NERV?" She watched as the gears began turning in the boys heads, and, after a moment a pair of identical grins appeared on their faces. 

                Then, in a whisper, she outlined her plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

                A silence settled over them, one so thick you could practically cut it with a knife. However it was not an uneasy, or awkward silence. It was more of a companionable silence. The two were perfectly content to sit without speaking, just happy to be near each other.

                The quiet buzz of the classroom around them went completely unnoticed by the two Children. Shinji stared straight ahead at the wall, his face, a nearly perfect imitation of Reis normal deadpan expression. While Rei continued to stare out the window as if she hadn't spent the last hour as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs waiting for him to finally arrive.

                Near the front of the room a certain red haired pilot stared back at them with narrowed eyes, completely oblivious to the fact that her best friend was sitting right next to her in an attempt to catch her attention.

                "Asuka!" Hikari Horaki bellowed, practically in the girls ear.

                "Huh," Asuka asked, looking back at the class rep with a slightly bewildered expression on her face. "What did you say Hikari?"

                "I asked why you were staring so intently at Shinji," she said after taking a deep, calming breath.

                Asuka looked the pigtailed girl up and down for a moment. Then she leaned forward and spoke in a hushed whisper. "I have a plan I need your help with at lunch today…" And one more person was added to the conspiracy.

~~~~~~~~~~~

                The remainder of the day until lunch time was spent in a similar fashion. As the teacher began to drone on about Second Impact most of the class tuned him out, slept, or, as in the case of four students, warily watch two others while pretending not to.

                Shinji and Rei both sat side by side ignoring everything around them, including each other. They were both lost in their own thoughts, oblivious to their classmates staring at them and oblivious to the droning of their sensei. However, just before the last bell something happened that got through their self imposed isolation.

                Their sensei fell silent for a moment, an occurrence that cut through the class like a hot knife through butter and even the slumbering students roused themselves to see if he had suddenly keeled over of a heart attack. To their extreme disappointment the old man was still alive and well… however… he _was_ looking at a piece of paper a messenger from the office had brought to him.

                "Class," he said, once again gaining their undivided attention by the oddity of him EVER making an announcement in class. "Today the School board has decided that there should be a change to the Physical Education classes. After lunch today you will all report to the athletic field for further instructions. Enjoy your lunch," he finished just as the bell rang.

                For nearly a minute the class sat there in complete silence, the same stunned look apparent on everyone's faces. Well, everyone, save for two students. As the teacher left the classroom Shinji and Rei both stood from their desks in perfect synch. The both retrieved their bags, and then walked out of the classroom, their footfalls landing in step.

                Every eye followed them to the door and once it shut behind them it was as if someone had suddenly flicked a switch, turning the volume back on and the class was filled with voices as everyone began talking at the same time.

                "Quick," Asuka said grabbing Hikaris' arm as she rose from her desk, "Let's grab Rei." She looked across the room and caught Toujis' eye. Their gazes locked and Asuka nodded her head once, Touji nodded in turn and grabbed Kensukes' arm, dragging him forcefully away from his laptop.

                "Come on Hikari," Asuka said as she dragged the pigtailed class rep from the room. "We gotta catch Rei before they get away." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                "Rei," Asuka called as they approached the two. Shinji and Rei were walking along a slightly shaded path between buildings towards a grassy hill to the far end of the school where they might eat their lunches. Rei stopped as her name was called and turned to look back at the fiery second child as she approached them.

                "Come on Rei," Asuka said, looping her arm through that of the blue haired pilots and proceeding to drag her away. "We need to talk; I'll give ya a few pointers on Piloting." Before the pale skinned Ms. Ayanami had a chance to say anything she found herself being forcibly dragged away from Shinji. She had an almost uncontrollable urge to decline the offer and stay with Shinji… however… seeing as she could not logically find a reason NOT to accompany the Second Child she acceded and walked along under her own power, after extracting her arm from Asukas' grip.

                Shinji attempted to follow for reasons he could not understand he wanted to be near Rei, but before he was able to take more than three steps he was blocked by two young men, Kensuke Aida and Touji Suzahara. 

                "Shinji, Shinji, Shinji," Kensuke shook his head at the young Ikari. "You know we haven't seen you in over two weeks, and when you finally come back to school you don't even say "Hi" to your friends?"

                "Huh?" Shinji said, looking back and forth between the two grinning boys.

                "Yeah, you just breeze in here and sit next Ayanami without a word or glance to your two best friends," Touji said, sounding hurt and offended.

                "Sorry guys," Shinji said absently, looking past them at Reis' retreating form. "I didn't mean to just ignore you like that I've… had some things on my mind lately." Kensuke and Touji watched as he followed Rei with his eyes, then, she disappeared around the corner of a building, and his eyes continued to follow a path as if he could see her _through the building._

                Finally he turned his attention back to the two boys. "So," he said, as if nothing had happened, "We still eating on the roof or you guys want to find someplace different today?"

                Kensuke and Touji exchanged looks. "Different?" Kensuke ventured to say. "Like what?"

                "I don't know," Shinji said shrugging his shoulders. He cast about a bit seeking a new place to sit and eat lunch when a memory flitted through his mind, one of cool grass, and shade. He snapped his fingers as the thought occurred to him. "Come on," he said, "I know a great place."

                As the three of them began walking, Shinji in the lead, Touji and Kensuke watched the Third Child closely. They began to notice a few things as they walked. Shinji was acting a bit funny. Normally Shinji walked with a bit of confidence, since usually he knew where he was going, he appeared to know where he was going today, and the confidence was still there. However, they noticed that he still wasn't acting quite like himself.

                It wasn't anything they could readily put their collective finger on; it was just a sense of something… off… with his behavior. They didn't have too long to think about it though because at precisely that moment they came around the corner of one of the school building and the boys saw a low hill ahead of them with a lone tree standing at the top.

                "There we go. This'll be a great place to have lunch," Shinji said absently as he walked up the gentle incline.

                "Yeah it looks pretty good," Touji agreed still scrutinizing the young Ikari. Little did he know that a certain trio of girls were at that moment sitting on the grass on the far side of that very hill, calmly eating their lunch.

                They reached the top of the hill and Touji turned around to look back at the school. Though not very high, the hill was still high enough to give a good view of most of the school, the entire compound lay spread out beneath his feet and even he had to admit it was a fairly cool sight. The school was laid out precisely, and the horizon was a thin line of blue meeting green earth.

                "Hey this is pretty cool," Touji said turning back to face his companions. The next moment he wished he hadn't as he came face to face with a rather irate Asuka Sohryu.

                "What are you three doing here?" she growled in a low, menacing tone as she stood inches away from Touji.

                "Uhh… w-w-we j-just f-f-followed Shinji," Touji stammered as he quickly stepped away from the angry pilot. Unfortunately he'd forgotten about the incline, and when his foot came down on empty air, where he'd expected firm ground he lost his balance and fell backwards down the hill tumbling end over end until he lay sprawled out on the grass at the base of the hill.

                Asuka turned and grabbed Kensuke by the shirt with one hand, pulling him forwards until they were practically nose to nose. "Do you want to ruin my entire plan," she hissed at him. He shook his head violently from side to side. "Good. Now grab Shinji and get him the hell away from Rei." She waited for his acknowledgment then released him. Kensuke quickly grabbed Shinji's wrist and almost dragged the boy down the hill towards the still prone Touji.

                "Stupid idiots can't do anything right," Asuka muttered under her breath as she turned back to Hikari and Rei. She paused when she saw Rei however. The blue haired albino had stood and moved to the top of the hill, staring intently at Shinji as Kensuke almost dragged him bodily away. Staring at someone isn't anything unusual really, and actually Rei had been known to look thoughtfully at times at the only male pilot. However never before had she glared in open anger at someone, as she currently was at Kensuke as he dragged Shinji around the corner of the building.

                "That girl is starting to scare me," she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                "So what happened?" Asuka asked of the two stooges after lunch as they walked towards the athletic field.

                "Shinji was acting really weird," Touji said, glancing nervously over at his friend as he continued to walk beside the ever silent Rei Ayanami.

                "Weird how?"

                "He wasn't really paying attention like he normally does," Kensuke piped in. "And he didn't blush when we teased him about Rei."

                "Yeah and his hands were shaking too," Touji said. "Pretty badly, he dropped his food a couple times."

                "His hands were shaking?" Asuka turned away from the boys and peered at Shinji. "What the hell is going on with you Shinji?" she muttered as the class reached the field.

                "Class," the sensei called, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Today we're going to do something a little different. We're going to have a co-ed Soccer game."

                A murmur went through the class. Soccer? They were going to play a game?

                "How are we going to pick teams?" one student asked.

                "Reasonable question. I'm going to assign teams. Would you all please line up here in front of me and I'll assign you to teams." The assembled students quickly moved to comply, getting a bit excited of the prospect of something other than boring old track, or swimming.

                "All right class stay right were you are. I'm going to go down the line and give each of you a number. When you receive your number I want you to step out of line and go to either end of the field. Ones on the left, twos on the right. Any questions?"

                "Our left or your left?" Kensuke asked.

                "My left Mister Aida. Any other questions?"

                There were none. The sensei went down the line assigning numbers and Asuka silently cursed herself as she realized that she was between Shinji and Rei, and with the way the count was going that meant the two of them would be on the same team, and she would be on the other. 

                "Well if nothing else this should certainly be interesting," she muttered to herself as they split into their teams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                "It was insane Misato," Asuka said as they sat at the kitchen table that evening. "The two of them were all over the place, it was like they were thinking with one mind. Neither of them said a word during the entire game but where he was she was right behind him and vice versa."

                Shinji was in his room, having said nothing at all except for a greeting since returning home from school. 

                "How do you mean Asuka?"

                "I mean that it was nuts." She paused for a second to grab a soda from the fridge. "Let me give you an example. Half way through the game their team was running with the ball towards the goal. I got it from some pansy and was going back up the field when SHINJI comes out of no where and steals the ball. He kicks it straight up and then backs away and Rei pops up and kicks it down field. I swear it looked like they'd been practicing that maneuver for quite some time."

                "Is that all."

                "Nope. I enlisted some help at lunch. Hikari and I dragged Rei off to eat and the stooges kept Shinji busy."

                "And?"

                "After lunch we compared notes. Rei was kinda distant,"

                "That's no surprise."

                "Nuh-uh," Asuka shook her head. "Not her kinda distant. She seemed distracted and really really nervous. Her hands kept shaking and she kept looking towards the class room. Turns out that's where the boys ate their lunch. I swear it was like Rei knew where Shinji was without being able to see him. They said Shinji was the same way, absentminded, even for him, trembling hands, nervous gestures that kinda thing."

                "So they're both suffering from the same thing." Misato looked down at the open can of beer that sat on the table in front of her.

                "What do you thinks wrong Misato?" Asuka asked.

                "I'm not sure." She got up and went to the sink. "But I'm sure Ritsuko knows more than she's telling us, and I intend to find out what that is." Then, she poured the rest of the beer down the drain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                Across town, in a small, decrepit apartment a young woman gazed intently out of her window. She didn't know what it was, but she could feel a connection to him. She could feel him, like a presence floating just over her shoulder, always out of her line of sight but never so far that she couldn't feel him.

                "Why can I sense you, Shinji?" The silence was broken just that one time by the whispered question, and as her blood red gaze continued to pierce the gloomy night outside her window, no answer was forthcoming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

                "Report."

                "Sir, the information gathered from the school further confirms my theory. The First and Third Children are in some way connected. Their minds seem intertwined."

                "They share thoughts?" That could be bad, if Shinji were to learn of their plans from Rei's thoughts…

                "I don't believe so sir."

                "What do you mean Doctor?"

                "I don't think they share thoughts, merely an awareness. Think of it like Twins. Two children that are so close together they seem to share one mind at times. Their movements and reactions are nearly identical. When together they'll frequently start and end one another's sentences, but to them it seems like a natural occurrence. I already observed both of those occurrences in the first report I handed to you."

                "So they are aware of each other on a purely instinctive level?"

                "That is my assumption, yes."

                "I don't have time for assumptions Doctor," he stated in the same cold, emotionless tone that permeated his every word. "Find out exactly what happened to them during that test and do it fast. We can't let anything interfere with the scenario."

                "Yes sir."

                "Dismissed."

                Dr. Ritsuko Akagi turned smartly on her heel and swept from the room, the large double doors swinging ponderously shut behind her. 

                For a time there was silence.

                Then…

                "What are you going to do if the link can't be broken?"

                "We'll have to cut it."

                "You do realize that there's no telling what Rei's death might do to Shinji if he's so dependent on her already. He could destroy himself if he lost her."

                Gendo did not respond to his old Senseis words. But inside, his mind was a storm of thoughts as he struggled to piece together what the situation might do to his scenario.

                Suddenly the door to his office opened and Rei walked in. She came to a stop in front of his desk and stood at a shaky attention.

                Gendo noted that she was blinking more often than normal, and her hands trembled violently at her sides, sweat stood out on her forehead and her breathing was heavy and labored. "Yes Rei?" he asked.

                "Sir. I wish to move out of my apartment building."

                "Why?"

                Rei paused for a moment and her brow furrowed in confusion, something neither of the men in the room had ever seen her do. "I am not entirely sure Sir. I just feel that I would like to live some where else."

                "Where might that be?" Gendo asked. Her response did nothing to improve his mood.

End

And theres chapter four. Finally. So, where is Rei going to move to? Why is Gendo so upset about it? Why the hell am I still talking instead of working on chapter five? All these and more will be answered in the next chapter. 


	5. Endings

Why can't I own Eva? *whimpers and curls up in a little ball* Note: Since the sites can't support the colors I originally used for Shinji and Rei finishing each others sentences look at it this way. Whichever one of them STARTS the sentence is the one speaking, the other is just a medium the words travel through. So if Shinji speaks first, it's from him, if Rei speaks first it's from her. Got that? Good. Read on.  
  
The Ties that Bind  
  
Chapter Five: Endings  
  
Two days after the soccer game at school the entire class had grown slightly more accustomed to seeing Rei and Shinji together during classes and at lunch. Rei began sitting with Shinji and his friends during lunch though as far as everyone could see it was like she wasn't there at all. The boys carried on as usual despite continuing differences in Shinji's normal behavior. Rei simply ate her lunch in silence as if the boys around her didn't exist.  
  
To Shinji and Rei it was enough just to be in each others presence. However Kensuke and Touji were still unnerved every time Shinji and Rei finished each others sentences; which happened whenever Shinji spoke, seeing as Rei was still not much of a conversationalist.  
  
"So have you asked-"  
  
"Horaki-san out yet?"  
  
"Would you two please stop doing that?" Touji pleaded as Rei finished Shinji's question without looking away from her lunch.  
  
"Doing what?" Shinji asked, a puzzled frown creasing his forehead.  
  
"Never mind," Touji sighed. "And no I did not ask her out, and I don't plan on ever asking her out."  
  
"Oh come on Touji," Kensuke teased. "We both know you like her." He cast a sidelong glance at the stoic Rei. "Well, the three of us," he corrected.  
  
"I'm not going to ask the class rep out," he snapped at the bespectacled teenager.  
  
"Why not-"  
  
"Touji?"  
  
Kensuke and Touji looked back and forth between the two Children as both looked at Touji with identical expressions on their faces.  
  
"I really wish you two would stop that but I'll answer the question any way Shinji."  
  
"Ikari-kun did not ask-"  
  
"that question-"  
  
"I did."  
  
"Rei?" The surprise was evident in the young Suzaharas voice. "Ok how do we tell which one of you is the one talking when you both finish each others sentences?"  
  
"The one of us-" Shinji said,  
  
"that speaks first-"  
  
"is the one that has-"  
  
"something to say."  
  
"So when Rei starts it it's her talking, and when Shinji starts it's him?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"Right," Shinji nodded to Touji. "So?"  
  
"So what?" Touji asked.  
  
"Why do you not-" Rei started,  
  
"intend to ask-"  
  
"Horaki-san out?"  
  
"I just don't have any intention of ever asking her out okay?"  
  
"Why?" Rei asked, turning to face Touji while tilting her head to one side  
  
"You may as well-"  
  
"answer her," Rei said.  
  
"She doesn't let go of a question-" Shinji said.  
  
"until someone answers it to her satisfaction."  
  
"Is there any way I can get you two to stop doing that?" Touji pleaded with them. His only response was an identical deadpan expression that sent shivers up his spine. He sighed, "I don't intend to ask her out 'cause I don't know if she's even interested in me at all."  
  
"This is considered-"  
  
"sufficient reason not-"  
  
"to pursue a relationship?" Rei asked.  
  
"As far as I'm concerned," Touji said suppressing a mild shudder at the still unnerving speech patterns. "And who said anything about a relationship? One date, even if I did ask her out does not make a relationship."  
  
"I do not understand," Rei confessed, her brow furrowed slightly in the most obvious display of emotion any of the boys had ever seen her express.  
  
"Men and women may date; however dating does not necessarily constitute a relationship between the two other than casual interest."  
  
Touji and Kensuke turned to gape at Shinji. "What did you just say?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"What?" Shinji blinked confusedly at the two boys. "What'd I say?"  
  
"Never mind," Kensuke sighed. "Did that answer your question Rei?" He said turning to her.  
  
"Yes." She turned away from the boys and went back to her lunch dismissing them as soon as her attention left them.  
  
"I don't think I will ever understand her," Touji whispered to Kensuke.  
  
"I don't think she wants anyone to understand her," Kensuke muttered back, both boys keeping their voices low so neither of the two Children would hear them. It was at that moment that the bell rang for them to return to class and Shinji and Rei stood in unison, after first packing away the remainder of their lunches to then walk once again in union towards the class room, where they would sit out the remainder of their day in school like two human statues.  
  
"There is something seriously weird about what is going on with them," Touji muttered darkly as he watched one of his best friends wander away with the most unsociable girl in the class, as well as one of the prettiest.  
  
"You're just saying that because the two of them are bugging you about the class rep," Kensuke joked, elbowing Touji in the ribs.  
  
"What? I don't know what you're talking about. I have no interest in Hikari," Touji loudly denied his interest in the pig tailed class rep as they made their way towards class, the odd behavior of the first and third children already forgotten.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That evening, at the Katsuragi household the pleasant smells of fried fish and rice cooking filled the small apartment, testament to the fact that Misato was not doing the cooking. Shinji stood at the stove humming softly to himself as his eyes watched the wall in front of him. Every few minutes his eyes would move one way or another, as if he was tracking something moving along the wall.  
  
"Misato?" Shinji called.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Dinners almost ready, would you mind if I invited Rei over to eat with us?"  
  
"Why would you want to have Wonder Girl over here?" Asuka snapped at him from her seat on the couch next to Misato as the two watched TV.  
  
"I just thought that since she moved into a new apartment today she might want to have dinner with someone she knows. Her new apartment really is too big just for her."  
  
Misato and Asuka shared a look.  
  
"Shinji?" Misato asked.  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"How do you know Rei moved out of her old apartment building?"  
  
"Huh? Oh I don't know." He frowned thoughtfully for a moment as his eyes tracked to the left of the wall towards the door to their apartment. "I just kinda had a feeling she moved in next door to us."  
  
"Did you see her move in?" Asuka asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then how do you know that she moved in next door you idiot?" she snapped.  
  
"Would you get the door please Asuka?" he asked absently as he set the table and served up a plate of rice and Vegetables for Rei.  
  
"Nobodies at the door dummy," she growled.  
  
Just then the doorbell rang and Shinji went to answer the door. The two women in the living room shared another look and both leaned over the back of the couch to look down the hallway as Shinji opened the door. Misato fell over the back of the couch on her head as the door slid open to reveal Rei Ayanami standing calmly on the door step, still in her school uniform.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How did he know she was there?" Misato whispered to herself late that night as she struggled to find sleep. "How could he have possibly known she was at the door before it even rang? And how did he know she moved in next door to us? I didn't even know that."  
  
She rolled over onto her back as she thought over the evening. It had been a quiet meal to say the least. Both Asuka and herself had been too preoccupied watching Rei and Shinji to say much, and both of the latter were the quiet sort anyway.  
  
Throughout the entire meal neither said a word, but at the same time whole volumes of information seemed to pass between the two. At times Shinji would suddenly put down his fork and reach over to pick up one of the plates of food, or the salt and he would hand it to Rei just as she looked up from her plate, whereupon she would accept whatever it was he was handing her and go back to her meal as silently as ever. Frequently she also passed things to Shinji without him ever asking for them, yet he always seemed to want whatever she picked up.  
  
After they'd finished eating the two of them had silently left the table. Rei walked to the door and left, and Shinji went to the kitchen to do the dishes, leaving Asuka and Misato still sitting in stunned silence at the table.  
  
"There is something seriously weird going on with the two of them. They're more highly synchronized than Shinji and Asuka were when they were training for the fight with the Seventh Angel" Misato muttered quietly to herself.  
  
After agonizing over it for another half an hour Misato finally gave up and concentrated on getting to sleep, as she had an early shift in the morning, and she didn't want to be late.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Early afternoon the next day the Twelfth Angel appeared over Tokyo-3, and the bonds would be tested by the day's events.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You're late Major," Ritsuko snapped as Misato came running onto the command deck.  
  
"Sorry," Misato said. She turned to look at Aoba. "What's going on? The Fuji Observation Center-"  
  
"Never detected it," Aoba cut in. "It just suddenly appeared right above us."  
  
"Pattern is Orange," Makoto said staring intently at the monitor before him, "No AT field detected."  
  
"What is that thing?" Misato asked.  
  
"A new kind of angel?"  
  
"Unkown," Maya called from her station. "The Magi are withholding their judgment on that."  
  
"Damnit," Misato swore as the Zebra striped sphere floated across the screen. "Another situation like this and commander Ikari isn't here again."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Why am I here?" Shinji muttered to himself some time later as he made his way through the city inside Unit-01. "Why did I let Asuka goad me into this?" He came to a stop behind one of the many sky scrappers in the city, back to the wall with the large revolver held at the ready.  
  
"Asuka, Rei, are you in position yet?" he whispered into the comm. System.  
  
"Not yet," came the gentle reply from Rei that involuntarily brought a slight smile to his lips.  
  
"You know an Eva can't move that fast you twit," Asuka snapped. She started forwards again but was jerked to a sudden stop as the umbilical cord hooked into her units back caught on one of the buildings. "Shiest," she swore, ejecting the plug and removing another from a nearby supply building.  
  
She started forwards again when she heard Shinji whisper in her ear, "Are you there?" She neglected to answer, and, a second later her heart stopped as she heard three shots echo over the city.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Deep within Nerv, all hell broke loose as on screen the Zebra striped sphere vanished.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Misato yelled.  
  
"Pattern Blue," Makoto said, "Angel confirmed, it's right beneath Unit-01."  
  
"A shadow?" Shinji gasped as he began to sink into the spreading pool of black beneath him. He pointed the gun in his hand towards his feet and emptied the rest of the clip into the darkness; his finger jerking reflexively on the trigger several times after the clip was spent. "What the hell is this? This can't be happening!"  
  
"Shinji get out of there," Misato screamed at him. "Shinji."  
  
"Ikari!"  
  
"You idiot get your ass in gear," Asuka screamed.  
  
"Misato? What's going on? Help me."  
  
"Eject the plug," Misato screamed. "Get him out of there."  
  
"No response, it's not working," Maya shot over her shoulder.  
  
Over the speakers Shinji continued to scream in terror as Unit-01 sank lower and lower into the city street, and as the horn atop its head sank out of sight static reigned over the speakers, and Shinji's voice was abruptly silenced.  
  
"Asuka, Rei, rescue Unit-01 hurry," Misato screamed.  
  
Braced between two buildings Rei fired her rifle at the Sphere that had reappeared in the sky above the city. It vanished as the shots passed through it, destroying a building behind it.  
  
"Asuka look out," Misato screamed as the ground beneath Unit-02's feet began to darken.  
  
"A Shadow?" Asuka panicked and leapt straight up, grabbing onto the side of a building. Using her progressive axe, and knife she made her way onto the roof, and the relative safety to watch as the entire city began to sink into the shadow beneath it.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked. "The whole City is sinking.  
  
"Asuka, Rei, pull back," Misato said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"But Unit-01 and Shinji are still in there?" Rei protested. In the command center Ritsuko frowned as she caught the note of fear in the first Childs voice. One that should not have been there.  
  
"This is an order," Misato whispered, her shoulders shaking with repressed sobs. "Withdraw now."  
  
Outside Unit-01's umbilical cable continued to sink into the shadow.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hours later Rei and Asuka stood outside the mobile command unit. Unit's 00 and 02 crouched nearby like two giants poised for battle. Rei was leaning against a wall, listening to Asuka verbally mock Shinji.  
  
From the moment he'd disappeared into that shadow Rei had felt as if half of her was missing, and it took all of her self control not to break down in tears. She felt horrible, shivering, sweating, and unable to catch her breath. However listening to Asuka stirred something deep inside the blue haired pilot. Something she'd never felt before, and before she knew it she was pushing away from the wall to approach the second Child, almost as if her body was acting outside of her minds desires.  
  
Asuka opened her eyes to find herself practically nose to nose with Rei. And she covered her surprise rather well. "What? Are my comments about Shinji pissing you off wonder girl?" she snapped.  
  
Rei tilted her head slightly to one side for a moment, as if considering Asuka's words. "Yes, I think they are," she said her vice tinged with a barely noticeable edge of anger. "Please stop speaking about him in such a manner."  
  
Asuka was to say the least dumbfounded. Of every possible response Rei might have made, THAT was not one Asuka had even considered. "Or what?" she snapped after a moment of silence. "I don't have to listen to your smart remarks Wonder Girl. I don't need to have anyone's approval but my own."  
  
"Cut it out you two," Misato snapped from the railing overlooking the city. "Asuka's right." Reis head snapped up and she barely suppressed a sharp retort at Misatos words. "He acted arbitrarily and without consulting anyone," Misato continued. "So I guess I'll just have to punish him when he comes back."  
  
Rei narrowed her eyes at the majors back, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I will protect you Shinji," she thought. "I will protect you with my life. But. please, come back to me. I . I love you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's been over twelve hours since I switched to life support mode," Shinji muttered, looking at the glowing numbers on the back of his hand after once again checking outside the unit to find no change whatsoever. "My life will end in four or five hours," he whispered.  
  
Before, the thought of death had never scared him. He never worried about it, he never cared. If he died, so what? There would be no one left to mourn his passing. On several occasions he had even contemplated taking his own life. But he had never managed to do it. It was just another form of running away.  
  
No it was still not the fear of death that was eating at him. It was the fear of how those he would leave behind would feel. But more so, what his dying would do to Rei. The girl he'd come to love over the last several weeks.  
  
Shinji was not a stupid boy. He knew something unusual had happened at the Cross Synchronization test. He knew that at any time of the day or night, and from anyplace in the city he could point directly to Rei no matter where she was. He knew that if he wasn't near her he felt horribly ill and weak. He knew her mind; he knew many of her secrets, though he couldn't believe most of them. He knew her origins, he knew that their minds had merged during the test, and he also knew that only the part of her that he retained in his own mind, the part of her that was calm, and cool at all times, was what kept him from breaking down completely at the horrors he'd seen in her thoughts.  
  
He also knew that if he were to die, she would as well.  
  
Which is why the next thought that occurred to him seemed so utterly ridiculous. "I'm hungry."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So that Shadow was actually the Angels body?" Misato asked.  
  
"Correct." Ritsuko turned to indicate the board behind her, upon which numerous equations and diagrams had been drawn, none of which Misato could read. "It's 680 meters in diameter with a thickness of three nano- meters. Sustained within that ultra thin space, is an inverted AT field. Inside of that field is a region of space that can only be defined by abstract mathematics. A sea of Dirac. It could be another universe."  
  
"What about the sphere?"  
  
"It disappears when the imaginary circuit of the body closes. This implies that the object in the sky is a kind of shadow."  
  
"So the black shadow that swallowed Unit-01 is the real target," Misato muttered.  
  
"Then there's no way we can fight it," Asuka whispered from her seat nearby as she and Rei watched the adults plan the next course of action.  
  
Rei remained silent, though one trembling hand went to her chest, covering her heart, as she felt a growing emptiness spread throughout her body, and the certainty that she would soon be dead.  
  
"I smell blood," she whispered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I hate this place!" Shinji screamed as he pounded on the hatch to exit Unit-01. "It smells like blood in here. Let me out of here. Someone open the door, let me out. Misato what's going on? Rei. REI let me out," He collapsed against the hatch. "Someone help me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You're gonna blow the shadow up?" Misato repeated.  
  
"I'm afraid it's the only possibility that might work. The plan is to drop all 992 existing N2 mines into the targets center while simultaneously activating the AT fields of both remaining Eva's in such a way as to disrupt the hypothetical circuit that encloses the Angel's pocket interior. If we concentrate enough explosive power during that same microsecond it could destroy the angel along with the Dirac Sea that makes up its body." Ritsuko explained.  
  
"But the damage to Eva would be. Shinji wouldn't. what in the hell kind of rescue operation is this?" Misato demanded.  
  
"Our priority is to get the Eva back," Ritsuko snapped, glaring slightly at her friend. "Even if it has to be destroyed in the process."  
  
"Now wait a second-"  
  
"Under these conditions the pilots' life is irrelevant." Ritsuko felt a sudden impact and her left cheek exploded in pain as Misato slapped her, sending her glasses flying to the pavement.  
  
"It's you're responsibility if Shinji's lost Misato," Ritsuko yelled at her. "You seem to have forgotten that."  
  
"Then why the hell are you and Commander Ikari so worried about recovering Unit-01," Misato said. "What's so special about it?" she snapped grabbing the front of Ritsukos lab coat and hauling the blonde closer to her.  
  
"You've been given all the information Major."  
  
"That's bull."  
  
"Misato, just trust me." She bent and picked up her glasses. "I'm taking control of this operation as of now."  
  
"There's so many secrets that I'm in the dark about," Muttered to herself as her old friend walked away from her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In a world of darkness, deep within the recesses of Shinji Ikaris mind, he found himself in a dilemma. He found himself aboard a maglev train, the window across from him showing a scene of a sunset, the light blinding him and obscuring anything in front of him.  
  
"Who?" he asked.  
  
"Who? Shinji Ikari." Another voice answered, one that sounded suspiciously like his own.  
  
"That's me," he said.  
  
"I am you. This self incorporates another self. The self has always been composed of two selves."  
  
"Two?"  
  
"Yes. The self which is observed and the self which observes itself. To expound there is the Shinji Ikari that exists in your mind, the Shinji Ikari in Misato Katsuragis mind, the Shinji Ikari in Asuka Shoryu's mind, the Shinji Ikari in Rei Ayanamis mind, and the Shinji Ikari in Gendo Ikaris mind. All of them are different Shinji Ikaris but each of them is a true Shinji Ikari. What you fear is the Shinji Ikari that exists in the mind of others."  
  
"I'm just afraid of being hated," Shinji said.  
  
"You are afraid of being hurt."  
  
"But who's bad?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Father is, the father who deserted us."  
  
"No I'm the one who's bad," Shinji denied.  
  
"There you go again," Asuka shouted at him, "You're always apologizing. Do you really think it's your fault?"  
  
"I'm worthless," Shinji said.  
  
"No." Misato. "You just believe that you're worthless Shinji."  
  
Rei slapped him, as she did on that day months ago. "Don't you trust your own father?" she asked.  
  
"I thought I hated my father, but, now I'm not sure."  
  
"Good work Shinji," Gendo said.  
  
"My father called me by my name," he exulted. "I was praised by my father."  
  
"Will you spend the rest of your life regurgitating and re-digesting those few pleasant memories?" his voice asked of him. He found himself sitting on a train, a younger version of himself sitting across from him, the sun behind the younger Shinji.  
  
"If I trust their words, it's enough. Enough to keep me alive."  
  
"Even though you know you're deceiving yourself?"  
  
"Everybody does it, that's how everyone survives," Shinji said.  
  
"If you will not accept that you are capable of initiating change within yourself you will be unable to continue."  
  
"This world is filled with too much pain and suffering to keep going on," Shinji said.  
  
"You can't swim."  
  
"Humans aren't made to float."  
  
"This is self deception."  
  
"I don't care what you want to call it."  
  
"You have been shutting your eyes and covering your ears, making yourself blind and deaf to that which you wish to avoid."  
  
Touji hitting him, Kensuke telling him of how Touji's sister was hurt during his first battle over Tokyo-3.  
  
"No I don't want to hear this," Shinji screamed.  
  
"You see? You're running away from your reality again. No one can justify their existence by thinking their happiest moments into a kind of rosary."  
  
"What's wrong with doing what you want to do?" Shinji asked. "Why won't you leave me alone?" he screamed within his mind.  
  
"Because I want to help you. Ikari-kun."  
  
Shinji stopped short. "Rei?"  
  
She appeared before him. "Yes Shinji."  
  
"Why would you want to help me?"  
  
"Because I care for you. Because I need you. And because I love you. Come back to me Shinji. Come back to me." The form of Rei began to slowly fade away, and within moments he was left alone in the darkness.  
  
And his eyes opened.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"The heat system and the oxygen are giving out," he whispered into the entry plug. "I'm cold. This is the end; I'm so tired, of everything.  
  
In the darkness of the entry plug a light began to shine, a presence washed over him, one he knew in his heart.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outside the bombers were about to drop the bombs, when Rei felt Shinji die.  
  
"What's going on?" Misato yelled as they all heard Rei scream over the comm. System. It wasn't a scream of pain or fear, but one of heart rending loss, and utter despair.  
  
"I don't know," Maya stammered. "Her life signs just dropped rapidly."  
  
As abruptly as it started, the scream cut off, and Rei turned to face the shadow. A second later a deep rumbling sound filled the city, and huge crack began to appear in the shadow, cracks as red as blood.  
  
"What the hell is that," Asuka yelled from Unit-02 as the cracks spread over the surface of the shadow.  
  
"What's going on?" Misato demanded.  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"All the meters and gauges are going off the scale."  
  
"But we haven't done anything yet," Ritsuko snapped.  
  
"Do you think it could be Shinji?" Rei asked.  
  
"That's impossible; Unit-01's power level must be at zero."  
  
"It is Shinji," Rei whispered as the sphere above the city began to bulge outwards, as if from some pressure inside it. "He's come back to me."  
  
The stripes faded, leaving a solid black sphere hovering there. Suddenly one side of it ruptured as a gigantic fist thrust through it, blood spraying out over the city in torrents as everyone looked on in varying stages of awe, disgust, and terror.  
  
The tears in the sphere grew bigger as Unit-01 became visible inside tearing its way out in some bizarre and twisted mockery of birth. It forced its head and shoulders through the hole it had created and roared to the sky above in a voice that sent a shiver of fear down the spine of every person near enough to hear.  
  
"Mien Gott," Asuka whispered from Unit-02. "Is that what I'm piloting?"  
  
Rei looked on, calm as ever, save for the tears streaming down her cheeks as she exited her unit.  
  
"God in Heaven" Ritsuko breathed as she watched the horrid display. "What kind of Monster have we made this from?"  
  
"I know that the Eva's are more than just copies of the first angel," Misato thought. "What is Nerv going to do with them once all the angels are destroyed?"  
  
Her attention was brought back to the view screen as Unit-01 crashed to the ground beneath the sphere, covered in blood, its eyes glowing with an unholy fire for a few moments before it went silent.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a hiss as the entry plug hatch opened and splashes as the LCL overflowed onto the ground. Rei scrambled inside half blinded by her tears and struggling to breathe past her sobbing. Stumbling slightly over the edge of the hatch she threw herself over Shinji's form.  
  
She cried against his chest, wrapping her arms around him as best she could, taking some comfort in his presence. The feel of his body pressed against her reassuring her that he was really there, and it wasn't just her imagination. She rose above him and gently kissed him, pressing her lips to his for a moment before laying her head back on his chest.  
  
Slowly his arms came up around her holding her close against him and she lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I just. wanted to see you, one more time," he whispered in a tired voice holding her gaze for a moment before exhaustion took him, and he passed out.  
  
She said nothing as she held him, continuing to cry silently against him as Misato watched on from outside the hatch, tears standing in her own eyes at the scene she witnessed.  
  
"Weren't you going to punish him?" Asuka asked.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shinji woke hours later to find himself back in the hospital room with the baby blue ceiling. He lay silently for a moment staring up at the ceiling before he turned his head to the girl sleeping beside his bed.  
  
Rei was sitting in a chair next to him, her arms folded on the bed with one of his hands held tightly in her own. He watched her for some time, studying her face, flawless skin, light blue hair feathering delicately about her face.  
  
After several minutes she stirred slightly and her eyes opened meeting his blue with her deep red. The two remained that way, locked in each others gaze until finally Rei leaned forwards and gently pressed her lips to his. Memory crashed in on him as he recalled their first kiss in Unit-01's entry plug after she'd collapsed against him in tears, something he never thought he'd ever witness from her.  
  
His attention snapped back to her as she pulled back from the kiss.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
  
"Fine. I barely even feel tired." He looked towards the door for a moment before turning back to her. "Think they'll let me out of here soon?"  
  
"They should let you go soon. We have a lot to talk about," she whispered, lightly brushing his lips again.  
  
"Yes, we do." He suddenly frowned slightly lifting the hand she held to his face to gently sniff at the back of his hand.  
  
"It still smells like blood."  
  
End.  
  
And Chapter five is ready.  
  
I would like to point out that much of what is said in Shinjis mind between himself and younger Shinji is taken directly from the episode, with my little part with Rei at the end being of my own creation. I just thought I'd let everyone know that.  
  
All else will be explained in chapter six. The budding relationship between Shinji and Rei, how everybody else feels about it, how GENDO is going to take it. And of course, the dreaded events of the thirteenth angel soon to come. Good god how are things going to go now that I've screwed with everything?  
  
You'll just have to stick around to find out. Ain't I evil? Hehehehe. 


	6. Beginnings

Okay, so by now I'm sure everyone is well aware that I do not own Evangelion. Everybody get it? Good. Anyway, this chapter is going to be a bit longer than the others as a lot more has to happen this time around. How is everyone going to react to the growing relationship between the First and Third Children? You'll just have to read on to find out. Brief warning, things get pretty sappy in this chapter. Nothing major but there is a lot of introspective junk on love. You have been warned.  
  
The Ties That Bind  
  
Chapter Six: Beginnings  
  
A general uproar filled the room. Numerous voices bellowed and echoed from wall to wall reverberating off the surfaces to infuse the room with a tumultuous overflow of sound. Twelve great monoliths, each with the word SEELE numbers 1 through 12 created a circle in the middle of the room, and eleven voices continued to chatter all at once.  
  
"SILENCE!" bellowed a voice from SEELE 1.  
  
"The plan has been shattered," SEELE 4 yelled back in a panic.  
  
"Ikari has betrayed us," said SEELE 8  
  
"The First and Third are connected," SEELE 12 interjected. "I do not believe that Ikari had anything to do with that connection, however it is true that our plans are in danger.  
  
"Does anyone else believe that Ikari betrayed this council intentionally, or are we of the opinion that he merely made a series of oversights that caused the chain of events that led to our present situation?" SEELE 1 asked of the assemblage.  
  
There were no forthcoming comments for either side of the question.  
  
"As there is very little we can do about this situation at the moment I move that this meeting be adjourned and we all get back to work. It is in our best interest to find some way to use this situation to our advantage rather than lose our heads over a minor complications," SEELE 1 said.  
  
"Agreed," came the response from SEELE 12.  
  
An instant later, all twelve had vanished, leaving the room once again in total darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is unacceptable Doctor," Gendo said as he glared over his desk at the blond woman before him. "This link that has developed between Rei and my son must not be allowed to continue any further."  
  
"There's nothing that can be done sir," Ritsuko informed him.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"When Shinji was taken by the Twelfth Angel yesterday Rei was extremely distraught."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"That's only the beginning of what I have to tell you. For an instant while he was inside the angel Shinji died. He was clinically dead, no respiration, no pulse, all bodily functions shut down. In that instant Reis' vital signs plummeted, if they had continued to fall she too would have died, and there would have been no bringing her back. The two of them are connected completely, if one dies the other dies."  
  
"How far has this link progressed?"  
  
"There's no way to be sure sir without asking them. I have no idea how much of Reis' thoughts are in Shinjis' head and vice versa. It's completely outside of anything we've ever seen."  
  
"Recommended course of action?"  
  
"At this time I would recommend that we leave them alone for now and work on breaking this link, without killing either of them in the process." Ritsuko struggled to keep her voice and face steady. Gendo did NOT look happy, and one thing she had always enjoyed was seeing him break his emotionless mask and show that underneath his facade he was still human.  
  
"Dismissed Doctor," he growled at her. She turned and left.  
  
"You should have done something about this before it got to this point."  
  
"I am well aware of that Kozo," Gendo snarled at the elderly man. Kozo Fuyutski made his way around the desk to stand in front of Gendo.  
  
"Because you left things until now the link between them has had time to solidify. Cutting it earlier would have been less painful than what will happen if and when one of them dies in combat."  
  
"When one of them dies?" Gendo asked with an arched eyebrow.  
  
"You know as well as I do that Unit 00 will not be surviving until the last angel arrives. I'm worried about what that event will do to Shinji."  
  
"Have you already forgotten our discussion a week or so ago old friend?" Gendo asked as his customary smirk spread over his lips. "Shinji is my son, whether he likes it or not, and as such he is much stronger than even he knows. When the time comes, he will stand up just fine under the strain that will be placed on him, until the end."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Things were a little weird around the Katsuragi apartment. Asuka and Misato were seated at the kitchen table, waiting for breakfast. There was only one problem. Shinji wasn't in the kitchen cooking.  
  
"Where the hell is he?" Asuka snapped.  
  
"I don't know," Misato said looking over the top of her coffee mug. "Maybe he's still asleep." Misato ignored the angry red head as she left the table, choosing instead to sit and mull over what had happened recently.  
  
Events had carried them all away. The Twelfth Angel had attacked barely two days prior. The morning after the attack Shinji woke up in the hospital with Rei seated beside him holding his hand. Neither had said anything to Misato about what happened between them in that hospital room when she arrived twenty minutes later to find Rei sound asleep on the bed next to Shinji. As far as she knew, no one else was aware of the fact that for a short time the two had shared a bed, even if it was only to sleep.  
  
"He's not here," Asuka ranted as she stormed back into the kitchen.  
  
"What?" Misato asked.  
  
"He's not in the apartment. Where the hell is he?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the apartment next door, one Shinji Ikari slowly opened his eyes. He felt strange. An emotion filled him that as far as he could remember, he had never felt before. He felt warm, content, and. safe? Yeah. Safe. He felt safe and secure.  
  
He was lying on his back, on a soft surface and as his eyes opened he looked at the pale blue ceiling above him. A blanket was drawn up to his chest, and his entire right side felt unnaturally warm. Turning his head he saw blue again. Blue hair. Rei was lying in the bed next to him, his arm was wrapped around her body and her head rested on his chest. One of her arms was slung across him and her right leg was bent at an angle across his own.  
  
She was dressed in only a bra and panties, and he was relieved to find that he himself was fully dressed, not counting the absence of his shoes and socks. Obviously nothing too serious had happened physically between them the night before.  
  
As he became more awake his thoughts seemed less fuzzy, but at the same time. incomplete, like he was only remembering half of what happened last night. After Misato woke them in the hospital Rei left to wait outside as the doctors came in and performed test, after test on him to ensure that there was no contamination by the angel he'd spent over half a day residing inside of.  
  
Finally, they decided he was clean and allowed him to leave. By that time the entire day had passed and Misato gave them a ride home. Rei had gone into her apartment after first standing up on tip-toe to gently brush her lips over his in a feather light kiss. Both Children ignored the looks cast in their direction by Shinjis' roommates. The night had progressed and finally he heard his two roommates go to sleep.  
  
Unable to sleep Shinji carefully slipped out of the apartment and went next door to Reis' apartment. She was waiting by the door and opened it before he even had a chance to knock. They both knew that they had a lot to talk about, but neither felt up to it, so they went to bed. And the next thing Shinji knew was waking up and realizing that Rei was sprawled across his body, and with that realization came the understanding that he was perfectly comfortable with the close, physical contact, though slightly disappointed that he couldn't feel her skin against his own. The cast on his right arm interfered with any attempt to stroke her skin with that hand.  
  
Rei stirred against him, her arms tightened their hold around his body and she pressed her face deeper into his chest, blocking out the sunlight that streamed in through the window. Or attempting to at least. She failed in that respect, but she did succeed in reminding herself that there was a warm body in the bed with her, and that realization brought with it a sense of peace and calm that she'd never known in her life.  
  
She lifted her head to look at him. "Good morning Ikari," she whispered.  
  
"Good morning Rei," he whispered in kind. He paused for a moment. "Rei?" he asked. "Could you call me Shinji?"  
  
"If you wish. Shinji," she said laying her head back down on his chest and closing her eyes, pressed her body closer against him to reassure herself that he wouldn't be leaving suddenly as he had during the fight with the Twelfth Messenger.  
  
The two laid in silence for a while. Finally, Shinji spoke. "When I was in the hospital, we said that we had a lot to talk about, didn't we?"  
  
"Yes," Rei mumbled against his chest.  
  
"Do you want to talk now? Or would you rather just stay right here for a while longer?" He asked.  
  
Rei felt torn. Her entire life had been built and structured around discipline and responsibility, so she knew that in light of their present situation they should get out of bed and discuss what was happening to them, however at the same time she really did not want to move, and risk destroying the fragile sensation of peace that had stolen over her as soon as she'd wrapped her arms around him the night before as they'd climbed into bed. She came to a decision.  
  
"I think that it is very important that we discuss what is happening to us, and what we know from each others memories," she said. She heard Shinji sigh slightly in disappointment and he started to sit up to get out of the bed. However, her arms tightened once again around his chest and held him firmly to the bed. "While I think it is important that we have this discussion, I do not believe that we have to get out of bed to do so," she continued. "I think we could talk just fine right where we are. With at least one minor adjustment."  
  
"Adjustment?" Shinji asked, frowning slightly.  
  
"Yes." Rei sat up and motioned for him to do so as well. She tossed the blankets aside so they hung off the foot of the bed, and then reached for the buttons of Shinji's shirt. Before he had a chance to put the words together to ask why she was unbuttoning his shirt it was done and she was pushing it off his shoulders. It took a bit of effort to get it past the cast on his right wrist but she managed. She lifted the hem of his undershirt and he automatically raised his arms to help her remove it.  
  
Then she pushed him back down onto the bed and laid across his chest once again, sighing quietly as she felt his smooth skin against her own. For a time neither spoke. Rei lazily traced abstract patterns on his chest with one hand while Shinji slowly stroked her back and side, running the tips of his fingers lightly over her body.  
  
"How did you know I was slightly disappointed that I could barely feel your skin?" he asked after a time.  
  
"Were you?" she asked raising her head to look at him.  
  
"Yes. A minute before you woke up I was thinking just that."  
  
"I did not know," she said laying her head back down on his chest. A miniscule smile graced her lips as she listened to his heart beat, the steady sound lulling her into a sense of security. "What is happening to us Shinji?" she asked a moment later.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure Rei," he said. "All I know is I have a lot of your memories in my head, and I know what you want, and what you're feeling all the time. I know when you're happy, and when you're sad. I know that when you can't see me you feel lost and helpless, and when I can't see you I feel pain, and loneliness. I know all these things, but I don't know what it means."  
  
"I have a theory."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"May I ask what it is?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
There was a moment of silence before Shinji remembered precisely how it was that Reis' mind worked and he spoke up again. "What is this theory you've come up with?"  
  
"I believe that something else happened to us during the Cross Synchronization Test, and somehow our minds have been connected to each other."  
  
"Connected?"  
  
"Yes. I feel what you feel, I know what you think. You feel what I feel, and know what I am thinking."  
  
"You mean like telepathy?" he asked.  
  
"No. There is nothing to suggest that we can speak to each other through our minds. However we can sense each others emotions and thoughts on an instinctive level. Like when you wanted to feel my skin, even though I was asleep I registered that feeling in you, and when I woke up I too wanted that."  
  
"That sounds a lot like the other night at dinner. Each of us knew when the other wanted something. And I knew you'd moved in next door even though I hadn't seen you or been told by anyone or anything."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Shinji chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip for a moment. He started slightly when he felt a gentle touch on his lip though. His eyes crossed as he looked down his nose to find a slim finger pressed against his lips.  
  
"Stop biting," Rei said from her position on his chest. "You're going to hurt yourself."  
  
"Yes, Rei," he said automatically not even bothering to question how she knew he was biting his lip when she couldn't see his face.  
  
"How much do you remember?" she whispered a moment later.  
  
He looked down at the top of her head. "What do you mean?"  
  
She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, looking him in the eye. "How much of, me, do you remember? How many of my memories are in your head?"  
  
"Enough," he said. "I know where you came from. I have an inkling of what my father is planning, though I can't even begin to understand what he's really up to. All I know is he has some great plan in mind for humanity, and that he wants to see Mother again." He paused for a moment. "I know that you are attracted to me, that you might even love me."  
  
Reis' breath caught in her throat. "I was not aware that you had learned so much from my memories. How is it that you have not panicked? I believe before the Synch Test if you had learned those things you would be in a very unstable mental state at the moment."  
  
"True." Shinji appeared thoughtful for a moment. "I've noticed that myself. I don't get embarrassed as much as I used to, and I don't get flustered. I think it's because of how closely our minds are linked. I have some of your iron fisted control over emotions, and you are a lot more vocal and emotional than before the test."  
  
Rei seemed pensive, and Shinji felt in his heart that she was worried about something. He was beginning to trust the feelings he got concerning her. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know what to do," she whispered. "All my life I always knew exactly what to do; I always knew where I stood, and what my purpose was. Now I'm not sure. And I'm scared."  
  
"You're not scared about not knowing what to do. Something else is scaring you besides that."  
  
She looked up at him again, her face held a rather comical expression of shock. "That is getting slightly irritating," she muttered as she realized he was now able to read her emotions.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
They were silent once again. "What's bothering you? What has you so scared?"  
  
She trembled slightly in his arms. "I almost lost you two days ago. I felt you die in there. It was the most painful experience of my life."  
  
"I'm sorry Rei," he whispered, tightening his grip on her body. "I never want to hurt you."  
  
"I don't think I could stand to lose you again," she whispered brokenly.  
  
"You won't lose me Rei. You know from my own memories that I love you. I'll never leave you."  
  
"How?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"How can you still love me, knowing where I came from? Knowing what I am?"  
  
"I don't care. The genetic material that created you makes no difference to me. Your personality, your thoughts and feelings are all your own. You are not her, you are Rei Ayanami."  
  
"Thank you," Rei whispered against his chest, "for understanding me." She slid up his body and brushed her lips against his for a moment. He found himself hypnotized by her eyes, wet with unshed tears, and at the same time, burning with emotion he'd never seen in her. Joy, happiness, acceptance, and love, all mixed together in a confusing whirlpool of emotion.  
  
His arms came around her back as her body settled on top of him. Before the test he would have been red in the face and stammering a mile a minute if he'd been put into this same position, feeling a beautiful girls' body pressed tightly against him. Now however, he just enjoyed the sensation, and held her tightly.  
  
After the brief kiss she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed heavily in contentment. Rei Ayanami was in love. The enormity of that had yet to crash down upon her. Instead she chose to revel in the sensation, letting it tingle its' way through every nerve ending in her body. Her skin felt hyper sensitive, and every brush of his fingertips over her body sent a shuddering tingle of excitement down her spine. She could still taste his lips. Unconsciously she liked her own lips, as if trying to catch that taste on her tongue.  
  
His skin felt indescribably smooth beneath her fingers, his body warm against her. She could smell him, with her face buried against the side of his neck. The scent of his skin lingered about him. No longer did he smell of LCL or the soap he'd used to vigorously scrub away the blood like odor of the liquid they worked with. Instead he smelled like Shinji. That was the only way she could think of to describe it. She breathed deeply, letting his scent flood her body, struggling at the same time against an almost irrational urge to kiss the side of his neck.  
  
She hoped to fall back to sleep, held tightly in his arms. But the longer she stayed within his embrace, the more awake she felt. And the warmer her body became. The sensations running through her lit up every sense like a Christmas tree, and she found herself unable to focus fully on anything other than the boy beneath her.  
  
Shinji knew what she was going through. He could feel her breathing getting slightly heavier as her body reacted to the emotions coursing through her. He also was well aware of his own bodies reactions to the warm girl he held so tightly to him. He knew that they could not stay as they were for too much longer. They had admitted they were in love, but he did not think them ready for too physical a relationship. They still had to sort out everything that had happened to them over the last few weeks.  
  
He cast about almost desperately for a way to get out of the bed, without taking away from the heavy rush of security Rei felt in his arms. Before he had time to think any further however someone pounded on the apartment door. Repeatedly.  
  
He looked to the door, then glanced at the clock beside the bed.  
  
"We should get up Rei," he whispered to her. She sighed, knowing that he was right, but still unwilling to leave his side.  
  
"I don't want to," she whispered.  
  
"I know, but I need to get the door and," he looked at the clock again. "School starts in two hours. We need to get up."  
  
Rei sighed again. Lifting her head she pressed her lips against his, enjoying the sensation, and taste of him before rolling to the side off of him. Sliding out of the bed she calmly made her way to the joining bathroom and turned on the shower.  
  
Shinji laid in the bed for a moment longer, staring up at the baby blue ceiling. He could still feel her lips against his, could still taste her. The pounding continued. Sighing in irritation Shinji rose from the bed. He grabbed his school shirt from the floor beside the bed, not bothering with the undershirt and walked through the spacious, one bedroom apartment to the door.  
  
He hit the button to open the door with his hand as he attempted to hold the shirt in such a way as to let gravity take over, making the shirt slide down his free arm. Putting a shirt on with only one hand was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The world was being fed-exed straight to hell, in a handcart. Or so it seemed to Misato. She peered over the rim of her can of beer, having switched the coffee with something stronger when Asuka had dragged a half dressed, and vocally complaining Shinji into her apartment to inform her that the young male pilot had spent the night in Reis' bed.  
  
'I am really not drunk enough to deal with this,' she thought. 'Especially not this early in the morning.'  
  
"Tell me again why you slept with Rei last night," she said. Rei and Shinji were both seated on the opposite side of the table from her. Shinji looked nothing like his old self. He still looked nervous and fearful as usual, but that was tempered by a bit of confidence, and by the fact that he did not look as nervous as he had in the past.  
  
Rei, was Rei. With one difference. She was holding Shinjis' hand on the table in front of them, her thumb gently stroking back and forth across his skin.  
  
"B-because I couldn't sleep last night Misato-san," he said in a voice just over a whisper.  
  
"That still doesn't tell me why you decided to sleep with Rei."  
  
"I think I may-"  
  
"Be able to clarify Misato," Shinji finished.  
  
"Damn I forgot about that," Misato groaned, looking back and forth between the two children. She sighed, "go ahead," she muttered waving her beer in Reis direction.  
  
"When we are apart,-"  
  
"even if it's just in another-"  
  
"room we feel unwell," Rei explained.  
  
"I feel sick, and weak when Rei is not around," Shinji said.  
  
"I believe, that in order-"  
  
"for us to function-"  
  
"properly we must remain-"  
  
"together."  
  
"I understand what you're telling me," Misato sighed. "However I can not allow the two of you to continue sleeping in the same bed."  
  
"Why not?" Rei asked, tilting her head slightly to one side. Shinji smiled. He loved it when she did that. To him it was something very cute that she did whenever she was questioning, or curious about something. She turned her head to Shinji. "You find that is cute?" she asked, once again unconsciously tilting her head to the side.  
  
Shinji nodded, still smiling.  
  
"What's cute?" Misato asked getting confused.  
  
"The way she tilts her head like that," Shinji explained.  
  
"Okay, how did she know you thought it was cute?"  
  
"I felt it."  
  
"You felt it?" Rei nodded her head. "Okay, I'm going to skip that one and get right back to what we were discussing. Rei you two are only fourteen years old. By law you're not old enough to pursue a physical relationship."  
  
"I am well-"  
  
"aware of the laws-"  
  
"Major Katsuragi."  
  
"Then why are you fighting me on this?" she asked.  
  
"We are not-"  
  
"fighting you on-"  
  
"the matter of the two of us-"  
  
"having a physical relationship-"  
  
"beyond kissing," Rei said.  
  
"We are merely-"  
  
"discussing allowing-"  
  
"us to share a-"  
  
"bed, as we do not-"  
  
"want to sleep apart," Shinji added.  
  
Misato shook her head. "Look. Right now I can't think about this. There are serious ramifications to your relationship. I'm sure the commander is not happy with how close you two are getting. If you continue to share a bed then he might take some kind of drastic action to separate the two of you." She paused to drain the last of her beer. "Right now I would like you two to do me a favor."  
  
"What is it Misato?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Don't let anyone know quite how close you're getting. You're both too young, the commander would have my ass if he found out you two were sleeping together. Even if you're not having sex." She paused for a moment. "You're not having sex, right?"  
  
"No, we have not,"  
  
"yet made love Major," Rei finished.  
  
"Yet?"  
  
Rei and Shinji shared a look, and in that look Misato could tell that she was officially out of the loop. Information seemed to pass back and forth between them at near lightning speed, almost like a conversation, but one where no words were used, or needed.  
  
"Yes Major," Rei said.  
  
"we believe 'yet' is the right word."  
  
"Which basically translates into the two of you intend to have sex, no matter what I or anyone else says when the two of you feel ready to do so." Shinjis' face was turning a bit red with a light blush, as was Reis, however Misato could easily tell that Shinji was nowhere near as embarrassed with the discussion as he would have been before he received a large download of Rei thoughts and memories.  
  
"Just go to school you two. We'll talk about this again later."  
  
The two Children rose from their seats and made their way to the door. "See you later Misato," Shinji called back as he slipped on his shoes. Then, they were gone.  
  
"Why did you let them leave?" Asuka asked. "They'll get to the school with an hour left to wait before classes start."  
  
"Did you notice Shinji's behavior?"  
  
"How do you mean?" Asuka slipped into the seat across from Misato and held out a can of beer.  
  
"He wasn't nearly as embarrassed as he would have been four weeks ago," she said as she took the beer.  
  
"So?"  
  
"I think this relationship is a good thing. Rei has been warmer since the synch test. She and Shinji have been getting closer together, and the closer they get, the better each one is. Rei is more outgoing, not much but the difference is noticeable, and Shinji is less of a wimp."  
  
"What does that have to do with them sleeping together. You should have punished them for that."  
  
"There's nothing to punish them for. They slept in the same bed, they did not have sex." Misato paused. "And I think, that if I were to separate them, they would just go back to being sick."  
  
"Ritsuko still hasn't told you what happened during the test?"  
  
"No but I think I've figured it out."  
  
"Oh? Do tell," Asuka said leaning forwards in her seat.  
  
Misato proceeded to outline a theory straight out of a bad B movie. But the more she talked, the more Asuka had to admit, they were acting as if they shared each others thoughts. Maybe their minds did get crossed somehow during the test. Neither of the two women however, had any idea of the full scope of the danger Shinji and Rei had been placed into, neither of them knew what would happen in the future, or what hardships faced them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'I wonder why she always gets here so early,' Shinji thought.  
  
"I dislike crowds."  
  
"Huh?" Shinji turned to look at the girl walking beside him as they made their way up the steps into the school. "What was that Rei?" he asked.  
  
"I always get here early, because I dislike crowds. If I get here early I can avoid most of the people and just look out my window," she clarified.  
  
Shinji was, to say the least stunned. "How did you know I was wondering that?" he asked.  
  
Rei arched an eyebrow at him. "You spoke aloud, did you not?" she asked.  
  
Shinji shook his head mutely. "I didn't say a thing, I was only thinking it."  
  
Rei looked thoughtful for a moment. In the back of his mind Shinji became aware of something. He could feel her thinking. He could sense the speed at which her mind processed and discarded idea after idea in an effort to find an answer for their latest predicament. While Shinji was not a stupid boy, Rei was nearly a genius. She could wrap her mind easily around very difficult concepts, and in an instant have a full understanding of them. It was the simple things that sometimes confused her.  
  
"Perhaps you were right," she said finally as they took their seats in the classroom.  
  
"Right about what?" he asked.  
  
"You asked earlier this morning when we were in bed if we were developing a telepathic link. Maybe we are."  
  
Any further discussion was cut short as a few of their fellow students filtered into the classroom. While Rei was becoming increasingly comfortable talking to him, she was still more comfortable maintaining her usual frosty silence around others. Shinji understood her feelings and the two settled into an easy silence, both lost in their own thoughts and worries about their ever more complicated situation.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
With thirty minutes left before lunch Shinjis' brain was shutting down from sheer boredom. He attempted to amuse himself for a time by fiddling with his laptop, he held a short, five minute message conversation with Kensuke and Touji. He tried playing solitaire, but quickly became bored with it.  
  
With fifteen minutes left before lunch he officially entered total shut-down mode. His thoughts began to wander as he slumped across his desk. His wandering mind settled finally on that morning, and the discussion he'd held with Rei as he held her in his arms.  
  
A small smile stole across his face as he recalled the sensations of the morning. The taste and feel of her lips against his, the warmth of her body as he held her, the rough feeling of the fabric of her bra against his chest contrasting sharply with the feeling of her smooth skin. 'I wish I could hold her again,' he thought, 'it felt nice being close to her.'  
  
A beeping sound caught his attention and his slightly glazed eyes focused on the screen of his laptop. A message had appeared there.  
  
Ayanami- I know what you're thinking.-  
  
He turned his head to look at her. Rei was watching him, her eyes held warmth, and amusement that he knew only he was able to see, and a small, almost invisible smile curved her lips. He turned back to his laptop and typed a response.  
  
Ikari- Did you hear my thoughts or read the emotion? - He pushed the SEND button.  
  
Ayanami- I am not entirely sure. I am beginning to think however that the longer we remain linked, the more sophisticated the connection between us becomes.-  
  
Ikari- I'm confused. What exactly do you mean? -  
  
Ayanami- When we first woke up after the test, I believe the only feelings we could sense were physical. I felt the pain from your broken wrist and your lip. Later we began to sense more emotions. Your desire to feel my skin this morning being an example. Still later after that we may begin to hear thoughts, as happened earlier when you wondered why I always arrive early to school. It is my belief that eventually, we will develop a complete telepathic link.-  
  
Ikari- Is that a good thing? -  
  
"I would certainly enjoy hearing your voice in my head," Rei whispered, leaning towards him slightly so that he could hear her better. "It would make the times when we must be apart much easier to bear if I could hear your thoughts."  
  
Shinji smiled and nodded his head in agreement just as the bell rang allowing them to leave for lunch.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The rest of the day passed largely without incident, however two Children spent the entire time deep in thought concerning their own very unusual situation. 'How are we going to manage sleeping arrangements?' Shinji thought as the three Children walked home. 'I can't sleep when she isn't near me, but I can't sleep with her cause then Misato will blow a gasket.'  
  
His thoughts trailed off as he felt a small hand grasp his own. Startled, he looked down at the hand and followed the arm it was attached to find himself looking directly into a pair of deep crimson eyes.  
  
"Do not worry," she said softly, "we will find a way." Her calm assurance helped to calm him, and he smiled, grateful for her words.  
  
Ahead of them Asuka looked back, an expression of disgust marring her pretty face. "Those two idiots deserve each other," she muttered to herself as she quickly walked on, leaving the two behind. Shinji and Rei were oblivious to her however as they walked, hand in hand, happy just to be in each others presence.  
  
And slowly, the connection between their minds grew stronger, their thoughts became more tightly entwined, and their lives, became irrevocably bound together.  
  
End  
  
So what's this one? Chapter Six? Wow, I can't believe I'm only on chapter six after what, almost a frikin' YEAR?  
  
Ah well, that's the way things go I guess. Anyway, next chapter, the thirteenth angel finally arrives. What will happen to the fourth child? What will happen when Rei and Shinji are forced to fight as their minds continuously draw closer together as their wills become bound to each other? Fuck, not even I know the answer to that one yet, you'll just have to stick around and find out.  
  
See you all next time. 


	7. Ace High

And we hit the ground running. This chapters is gonna get bloody, so strap yourselves in, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.  
  
The Ties That Bind  
  
Chapter 7: Ace High  
  
Major Misato Katsuragi, NERV Operations Director, and guardian of the Second and Third Children, leaned back in her chair with a sigh. She stretched where she sat, linking her fingers above her head and extending her arms as far as she could until she felt her muscles protesting and numerous joints popped.  
  
Relaxing, her body instantly felt much less tense; if a bit warmer from the stress she'd just placed upon it. Such mundane thoughts were not occupying her attention at that time though. No, instead she was worrying about something much more complicated.  
  
Namely the still confusing relationship that had developed between the First and Third Children. Rei, and Shinji grew closer together each day. They still finished each others sentences, but more and more often during the two weeks that had passed since the Twelfth Angels attack Misato had heard them speaking in unison, as if they really did share one mind.  
  
She could ask Rei a question and both children would answer using the exact same words, the exact same tone of voice, their faces even held identical expressions. Misato didn't mind the relationship they'd developed as she felt it made both of them better people, and better pilots, (their synch scores had both jumped over 25 points since the cross synch test, most of that increase happened during the past two weeks) however her theory that their minds had somehow become connected during the Cross Synch incident worried her.  
  
"They have very dangerous jobs," she muttered to herself as she arched her back over the back of her chair listening to her spine pop. "What happens to one of them if the other dies?" A memory floated before her minds eye, one of Reis' vital signs dropping rapidly just before Shinji tore his way out of the body of the Twelfth Angel.  
  
She crossed her arms on the desk in front of her and laid her head down. "I hate not being able to help them," she whimpered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Across town, two Children lay in each others arms on a couch in the Katsuragi household. Both children were fully dressed as they had agreed neither was ready for too physical a relationship. No words were spoken, none were needed. The rather volatile roommate of one of the two was nowhere to be found, she'd muttered something about staying at a friend's house as she'd stomped out the door. That had been three hours previously however, and neither of the two Children had felt the need to pay much attention to her at the time.  
  
Shinji Ikari was happy. This was an event that should be marked on the calendar as he was very rarely happy. He and his girlfriend were watching a movie. Well, to be more precise, he was watching a movie. Rei was sprawled across his body, her head resting on his chest. Her eyes were closed as she listened to his heart beating; she had little or no interest in the movie.  
  
'I like this,' she thought. 'This is most pleasant.'  
  
'Good.' Her eyes snapped open as she heard the voice speak into the back of her mind. Shinjis' voice.  
  
"I heard you," he whispered to her, not taking his eyes from the television. He lifted one hand and gently tapped his left temple, "in here, I heard you speak to me."  
  
"I could hear you as well," she whispered.  
  
That was another thing that was happening to them. One they had not told anyone about. Aside from the fact that obviously they needed to be in each others presence as much as possible, their physical and mental health depended on it. Aside from the fact that they could sense each others emotions, feel each others pain and pleasure. Aside from all that, they could sometimes hear each others thoughts.  
  
It happened very infrequently, and usually when they least expected it, but it did happen.  
  
Shinji turned his eyes from the television and looked down at Rei. Not for the first time Rei felt that Shinji would, in two ways, become a very dangerous man when he reached his full maturity. If he was put under the right conditions, he would become a man that even Gendo Ikari would fear.  
  
Rei was determined to ensure those conditions were never met.  
  
Also to almost any woman, he was incredibly dangerous. His eyes held a depth of emotion that seemed to draw her into them every time she looked at him. She could easily imagine getting completely lost in his eyes, and when her entire being was utterly lost, she would descend into oblivion with a smile on her face.  
  
"That's been happening more often lately," he murmured, snapping her out of her daze as he referred to their brief mental communication.  
  
"Yes it has."  
  
"What happens now?" he asked.  
  
"Now?" She glanced at the digital clock on the VCR. "Now, I must be getting back to my apartment before Major Katsuragi returns from work."  
  
That was something they had decided on the day after they'd spent the night in the same bed. Misato had walked into her apartment to find the two of them arranged much as they currently were on the couch, and she'd gone postal. Shinji still cringed when he thought about that afternoon. Misato had screamed at the top of her rather substantial voice at the both of them, promising rather dire consequences if she ever found them so entwined in her home again.  
  
Shinji sighed regretfully but knew that Rei was right. Even if the two were found sitting at opposite ends of the couch they had quickly discovered that just their synchronized presence was enough to make almost everyone they knew extremely uncomfortable.  
  
"I still don't understand why we make people so uncomfortable," he grumbled as they rose from the couch. Shinji in particular was the most violently affected by any forced separation between them so he was understandably upset whenever she had to leave his presence.  
  
"People do not like change," Rei said. "We have both changed considerably, you more noticeably than myself but I have changed as well. The changes that are happening to us make everyone else uncomfortable in our presence." She paused. "I also think our synchronized speech scares them."  
  
Shinji turned to her with a slight sensation of surprise running through him. He could hear the amusement in her voice. The way everyone shuddered when they spoke was funny to her. After giving it a second's consideration Shinji came to the conclusion that yeah, it was funny.  
  
One thing had concerned Shinji for about a week. He thought about it as they rose and he walked with her to the door. Their kisses, on the rare occasion they did kiss, had all been very chaste. Closed lipped, usually they were feather light, and over in an instant.  
  
After slipping on her shoes Rei leaned up on tip toe to kiss him goodbye, and Shinji all at once came to a decision he would have been incapable of before crossing minds with her.  
  
As her lips brushed against his, his arms snaked around her waist, trapping her and pulling her body flush against him. She gasped lightly against his lips in surprise, the rest of the exhalation muffled as his lips covered hers with more force. Pressing firmly but gently against her lips he opened is mouth slightly and let the tip of his tongue glide over her bottom lip for the briefest of moments before it darted back into his mouth.  
  
He pulled back from the kiss and looked down at her for a moment. The emotions running behind her eyes were indecipherable even to him, and for a moment he wondered if he'd gone too far. His moment of worry was shattered as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his again, this time letting her tongue slip into his mouth to caress his.  
  
His arms tightened around her body, holding her closer against him as they kissed. Her lips vibrated against his as a low moan made its way up her throat and Shinji was unable to suppress the brief shudder that made its way down his spine as she moaned into his mouth.  
  
They were interrupted quite abruptly by the apartment door sliding open with a hiss. The two Children broke apart rather quickly.  
  
"Do you two idiots want to get out of my way?" Asuka snapped at them.  
  
Reis annoyed frown went unnoticed by the other two pilots as Asuka pushed her way in, shoving Shinji forcefully out of her way in the process.  
  
"I really do not understand her," Rei said as she helped Shinji up from where he'd fallen after first colliding with the wall.  
  
"Neither do I Rei," he sighed. "She really seems to hate our relationship, but I can't figure out why."  
  
"It is foolhardy to attempt to understand the motivations of another person," Rei told him.  
  
"I know," he sighed. "I just wish I knew why she seemed to hate us so much, it might make living with her easier."  
  
"You are always welcome in my apartment at any time Shinji," she whispered, lifting one hand to gently stroke his cheek.  
  
Taking her wrist he brought her hand around and gently kissed the center of her palm. "Thank you, Rei." Leaning forwards he kissed her lightly again.  
  
"I must go," Rei muttered against his lips.  
  
A low growl of irritation rumbled from deep within Shinji's chest. However he knew no pleading, commanding, or growling would help in this situation, so he merely stepped back after pressing another quick kiss against her lips and let her walk over the one door to her apartment.  
  
He watched until her door slid shut and she was blocked from his view before sighing and turning to re-enter Misato's apartment. For some reason, he thought even though she's just a few feet from me, when I cant see her, it feels like miles separate us.  
  
Sighing in resignation he closed the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day was a Monday, and the Children once again found themselves ensconced in a class room. For the most part the day passed without incident, with the noted exception of Touji being called to the principles office seconds after the bell had rung for lunch.  
  
Rei, Shinji, and Kensuke settled under the tree they'd taken to eating their lunch by. Rei was calm, and unperturbed as always, though Shinji could sense an undercurrent of apprehension in her.  
  
Kensuke was Kensuke. Rambling on about something military related. Shinji would later recall the words Evangelion nit-03 being mentioned several times, but at the time of the discussion he was not paying attention.  
  
Shinji. Shinji was pensive, his mind occupied by other matters.  
  
"What is wrong Shinji?" Rei asked him several minutes into their lunch period.  
  
"Something's bothering me," he admitted.  
  
"Our living arrangements?" she asked, a knowing tone in her voice.  
  
"Yeah." He sighed racking his fingers back through his hair in frustration. "It seems to me that Misato has full control over my life, like I have no say in it."  
  
"What do you intend to do about that?" Kensuke asked.  
  
Rei and Shinji turned to him.  
  
Shinji appeared thoughtful for a moment, before slowly, an unaccustomed smirk graced his features.  
  
"What are you plotting Ikari?" Kensuke asked.  
  
Rei and Shinji shared a look. Shinji nodded once, his smirk widening as he leaned back against the tree, lacing his fingers behind his head as Rei turned and addressed Kensuke.  
  
"When your opponent is sitting there holding all the Aces, there's only one thing left to do," she said.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Kick over the table."  
  
End  
  
Okay I really do hate to do it but I think I'm going to end the chapter here. I had to break this apart because that last line was just such a GOOD spot to end it. Evil cliff hanger.  
  
Anyway, in the next chapter, I PROMISE we'll have the Thirteenth Angel, I PROMISE we'll see what happens to the fourth child, and how Shinji and Rei handle fighting with their minds now almost completely merged together actually hearing each others thoughts, and the world is going to be fed exed straight to hell in a hand cart.  
  
See you all next time. 


End file.
